Everywhere!

 

Everywhere!

 

We have been advised

To wear a visor

Because if a breeze

Carries a sneeze

Our hand sanitiser

Might not freeze

This viral disease.

 

And we could be bumped off

If somebody coughs!

The amount of spittle

Might be little

And a one-off

So best not scoff -

We might not shake it off.

 

It might be of interest

That we might even ingest

This rather vile bug

So let's not get smug

And end up taking a test

Fill ourselves up with drugs

And not be able to hug.

 

We can't travel too far,

Only close ones in car,

Be mindful on trains,

Wear facemasks on planes.

It's all quite bizarre

Our lives are not quite on par

We’re going to great pains.

 

The rockers can't rock

The live music has stopped.

Everything's in trouble -

We live in a bubble!

There's no popping in shops

It's all in a muddle.

And very befuddled.

 

To keep well apart

From our counterparts.

Have group meetings.

Send out sweet greetings

Right from the heart

When we take part

Behind a screen some evenings.

 

Don't like the new norm

Don't like this reform

Want what was all back

It's such a setback!

Don't want to conform

Or to be misinformed

About this attack.

 

To breathe in fresh air

Wind blow through our hair

Without nasty bacteria

That's travelled to Siberia

And everywhere!

It's changed our welfare.

Could this be chemical warfare?

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence

30^th August 2020

Dear Mum and Dad

 

Dear Mum and Dad

You suffered the impact

Of the Second World War

When you were ten.

You thought it wouldn’t happen again.

 

You lived in North London

During the second outbreak;

He tried to take over the world

He was undeterred.

 

Turned lives upside down

Made it so hard,

Left unexploded detonators

The unscrupulous traitors!

 

There was little control

You did what you could

You lived day by day

Didn’t have much say.

 

The Luftwaffe they bombed and bombed

They killed so many.

Changed life as you knew it

Although we did finally outwit.

 

And when the war was over

You rebuilt your life

You were happy, at peace

Worked hard with your elbow grease.

 

There wasn’t much money

Not much to do

But there was much bliss

That was sealed with a kiss.

 

Years have gone by and material lives,

Holidays aboard,

At least twice a year,

And cars with five gears.

 

Full-time work, children so busy

No time for nothing

Except to make income

That became the rule of thumb.

 

Another new car

Updated TV

Nothing but the best

Swim in the Caribbean Sea.

We got a little complacent

With all this and that

But what’s happened now

Has made us fall flat.

 

Stopped in our tracks

We’d turned our backs

To the cold and flu

Now there’s not a lot we can do.

 

A sneeze or a cough

Leaves us fearful and scared

Not a lot can be done

And it’s affected everyone.

 

Now there’s an outbreak

That’s taken over the world;

The jobs are drying up

There’s no world backup.

 

Now the whole world

Is beginning to care

Look out for each other

And all our welfare.

 

Is this world war three -

This invisible plague?

No bombs or shrapnel

Out there to attack you.

 

There is not much control

We’re doing what we can

Accepting new ways

Day by day.

 

We need a new normal.

And a new world is rethinking,

We can’t start the rebuilding

Until it stops killing.

 

Dear Mum and Dad

I’m glad you can’t see

And live through this time

Of worry and uncertainty.

 

 

Linda Lawrence 11^th August 2020