With a generous helping of conscience and a little poetic licence, Jane Bickmore-Jaffer, MBE, a popular British author and founder of the Let’s Read initiative in Oman, converts some of her reflections during the lockdown into meaningful verse.
A world at war, a total invasion
Occupying our thoughts; to avoid contagion
An invisible enemy lurking in the air
Droplets float unheeded to infect those we care
With soap, sanitiser, and spray we fight
Breaking news streaming from morning ’til night
Locked down at home, glued to the screen
Viewing graphs and peaks of devastating Covid-19
No jobs, but health care workers flat out
Recognised on Thursdays with a clap and a shout
With PPE protection, medical teams intubate
Unable to save thousands from a terrible fate
Undertakers, with no peace, no rest in bed
As they struggle to burn and bury huge numbers of dead
Virtual funerals being held on zoom
Let us pray for deliverance from our own potential doom
On social media, bogus claims to kill the viral bugs
Scientists in a global race for vaccines and new drugs
To avoid the R factor, let’s test, test and test
But are our politicians really doing their best?
Heads will surely roll, as Trump and Xi’s war of words divide
And Floyd’s death on camera, give police nowhere to hide
When we at last emerge from this coronavirus mist
Will all lives matter, bending the knee and raising the fist?
BLM riots, historic monuments destroyed
White supremacists indignant, furiously annoyed
Can we change the narrative, re-write our story?
Give an honest account of racism and colonial glory?
Let’s pause, shutdown, reset, start anew
The planet healed itself while we were wondering what to do
NO2 and CO2 pollution becoming a thing of the past
Now, moving forward, we must find ways to make it last.
What have we learned from this unprecedented year?
To cherish our loved ones, value freedom, a walk without fear
As a new dawn breaks, let’s pray to witness rebirth
By promising to love and protect our beautiful Mother Earth
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