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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I care

I Care

I swear, I care

And don't want you 

To go anywhere!

During these four years

Got to know you

And it's clear

You're getting worse.

This illness

Is a fucking curse.

But we laugh and joke

Or I mop up your tears

When those stupid folk

Stare, it isn't fair

When they speak over you

When it’s not their affair.

Often, you make me mad

And count to ten

And realise this is so sad.

And all your twenty doses

I've got to learn

With all their dosage

To sort your medication-

To trust me

Now you've losing concentration.

They help you move

And for a while,

Improve.

I hold your hand

Through every blood test

And try to understand.

You exasperate me!

You exhaust me

Mentally and physically!

You change my music station

While on a ride out

Through the duration!

And I’m such a dick!

This is the fourth time

I’ve run over your walking stick!

You laugh at the idiocy

As the hospital laughs and redelivers;

And neither takes it seriously!

We sing to songs

Strangle them

But still sing-along!

I turn things on their head

To make you laugh

Ensure you're well-fed.

You lean on me

In every way

Make your cups of tea.

I try to act happy

Make you giggle

When you're feeling crappy.

And every weekday

A warm drink waits for me

Even if you're in dismay.

And you look after me

In your own way

And you’d disagree.

I hope in some way

I’ve made a difference

As your life ebbs away.

What you don't know

Is I'll be there until the end

Don't want you to go.

Linda for Sue

Feel so humble

July 2020

Shut your mouth!

Shut your mouth!

You sneeze your germs, phlegm and cough

I don’t know what virus you’ve got!

A harmless bug or more sinister I wonder;

Is it that disease that’s killing hundreds?

You might protest – it’s your given right

And it’s catching on, a common sight.

You may not want to bother with PPE

But suppose you transmit this illness to me?

Just shut your mouth and wear a mask!

A simple concept you can't seem to grasp!

This should be made mandatory

This is not the world that was carefree.

It’s not over yet, it’s just begun

It can infect and kill almost anyone.

Safeguarding can help and not endured,

At the moment there ain’t a fucking cure.

Opened the beaches, pubs and shops;

The two-metre distance is all but forgot,

Some don’t, some won’t but why gloat?

As there ain’t no fucking antidote.

Cover your nose over your face -

We’ve lost too many of the human race!

There are too many in loving memory

As there ain’t a fucking remedy.

Safeguarding should be compulsory

In every land and all countries.

Confusing, the misleading politics

As yet, there is no easy fucking fix

Why don’t we all just get ahead?

And help prevent this evil spread.

This has reached almost every nation

And there ain’t any fucking medication.

Copyright Linda Lawrence

July 2020