A heartwarming poem about life during COVID-19
<p><strong>Ode to Hope</strong><br /><br />Lockdown, stay home, self isolate<br />The World is in a perilous state<br />The first time in history we all empathise<br />As we view this pandemic through fearful eyes<br /><br />So many deaths from an invisible bug<br />No loved ones there, no-one to hug<br />We’re all in mourning at such tearful sights<br />Now we’re recruited to ‘fight the good fight’<br /><br />In our family cocoon we must safely sit<br />Perhaps venture outside to shop or keep fit<br />How lucky are we, in these close bonds secure<br />Our loved ones, in future, we’ll appreciate more<br /><br />Let’s spare a kind thought for those very poor<br />Unable to hide behind tightly locked doors<br />Come rain or come shine, out there sleeping rough<br />Disenfranchised lives, they’re doing it real tough!<br /><br />Jobs have been lost, how will they exist?<br />Just essential items, can be on the list<br />Our lives forced to be, over simplified<br />To the fast changing rules, we must abide<br /><br />Ours lives of excess consumerism<br />Trapped in over-consumption prison<br />How can we escape this merry-go-round?<br />We all sell our souls when such greed abounds<br /><br />Nails, eyebrows, long lashes, and botox lips<br />Piercings, tattoos, extensions, blonde tips<br />Wardrobes overflowing with so much stuff<br />Clothing and shoes, there’s never enough<br /><br />Our houses are stylishly decorated<br />Too large with so few accommodated<br />Every gadget, white-good, electronic device<br />Mesmerised by our screens, is this a life?<br /><br />Shock jocks spouting their vitriol<br />To divide and conquer is their main goal<br />So many believe everything that they read<br />From a diet of facebook and twitter feed<br /><br />These days no belief in our politicians<br />So cynical, another term, is their ambition<br />Fake news and partisan PR spin<br />At all costs the party is just there to win<br /><br />At times like this can we work together<br />To make it last, to improve life forever?<br />Will it change the way that we must think<br />Or will all be forgotten, in just one blink?<br /><br />We now have the chance to contemplate<br />To reset our lives, is it too late?<br />Live a simpler life, it has so much worth,<br />Revive us and save our struggling Mother Earth.<br /><br /><em>By Kathy Lang</em></p>
