The invisible enemy arrived suddenly,
And spread clones of himself rapidly.
His encounters could be friendly,
Severely debilitating, or even deadly.
No one knew in advance which it would be.
Reasonably, fear of the stranger grew greatly,
And world leaders declared a global emergency.
International travel was curtailed significantly,
To help fight the spread of the invisible enemy.
But fear of meeting him kept growing daily.
The scourge acted discriminatingly;
He rushed into old-age homes gleely,
And killed its residents mercilessly.
Many died in solitude, without family
To comfort them: they languished forlornly.
He didn't stop there, though.
He went for vulnerable others too,
And looked for them everywhere.
As the morning news got worse and worse,
People's fear and anxiety reached the stratosphere.
As the number of victims grew,
Hospitals filled well beyond capacity,
Exposing another vulnerability.
Health systems were in tatters;
Victims of bad Government policy.
Health Department cupboards were bare:
No masks or protective equipment there,
Even for health workers, who took the brunt of the enemy.
Governments failed to fulfill their highest duty – security,
Causing citizens to suffer and die unnecessarily.
Almost overnight, society changed dramatically.
Out were handshakes and embraces among friends and family.
In were sanitizers, social distancing and the drive-by greeting.
As fear turned to panic, people who could stayed home,
And dining out became a distant memory.
Then the vociferous minority said NO:
No more lock-downs and no more mandates.
We want liberty, they said,
Holding a gun to the Government's head!
The rebellious scenes brought more dread.
Thanks to vaccines, first dose, second dose, and more,
The hardship days could soon be history.
Hope is conquering despair everywhere.
And while the stranger still lingers in our core,
People fear him little, or no more.
Now we go on merrily, trying to restore normality.
Schools are again functioning properly;
Sports events are back, and the theatres are open too.
Shopping and dining are back with a vengeance, and prices too!
And the Government, what will it do?
YOU ARE READING
Earth Poetry
PoetryI'm a dilittante poet, as you will plainly see. But I'm versed in the language of science, and I'm alarmed by what I see. Yes, planet Earth is in peril, and the day of reckoning is near. So, I have turned to poetry, to share with you what I see, fr...
