Covid-19

Covid-19



"200+ have died!" They cried, "Lock-us in"
"We're just 10 days behind Italy, take a look!"
"Herd immunity," Boris offered, "Take it on the chin."
His Churchillian rally cry ensured scientists were 'shook'.

Schools watched with bated breath for news of closure,
Some feared not until Easter, perhaps an extended holiday.
One or two, paranoid and knowledgeable, knew: much sooner.
We must arrange a plan, it's now that we find a way.

We planned our attack: predicted which children we'd see.
The longest week trickled by as we whispered rumours and fears
KS1 would go with you, we decided, KS2 with me.
Finally, news: Friday we'd close, open only to those on the frontiers.

Children left school, some excited, some mournful.
Would they get to see their friends? Say goodybe?
For year 6, it was something just too awful,
Not to end their year on the traditional high.

Teachers managed, converting their skills online,
Streets grew silent, birds filled them with song,
While we clapped for carers, found ways to fill our time,
Tabloids pretended nothing was going wrong.

As the 8th week came into view,
Criticism of Boris was mounting,
Strangely only from the very few
The media forgot to be counting

The deaths as they soared up, continous lack of PPE
Where was the anger, the media frenzy?
Where was Newsnight, The Times, The BBC?
Is it only the gammon-pundit Piers, on ITV?!

As we watched the US, struggling with its protesters,
We patted ourselves on the back thinking,
At least we all want to protect nurses, doctors, us,
Except that it began to come creeping

Across the pond, into our own fetid minds;
5G! Tyranny! Cryptocurrency! It's all a ruse!
Let us out now, we can read the signs,
It's not so bad anyway; you're removing our right to choose!

So now the schools are to reopen,
For the smallest and oldest; really, just a third.
Unnoticed, Boris's slogan, in the very least broken,
harks back to pre-VE Day phrases heard:

NHS: "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"
Construction workers: "Come into the Factories!"
Around unlimited exercise: "Your country needs YOU (to stay at home)"
He urges us to stay "Alert".

Is he unaware he sounds quite absurd?