Written near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK in 2020. So much sadness was on the news and yet some things were happening that definitely felt like a breath of fresh air.
Going viral
A breath of calm on waking,
No sooner taken than replaced
By a gut wrenching dawning
On remembering reality.
Unwilling extras in this pandemic movie
Of unknown duration, with unscripted end.
A morbid urge to catch up on the plot –
Statistics, curfews, deaths.
Isolation, empty shelves, fear.
Yet quietly and gently a subplot emerges,
A resilient, defiant shoot pushing through the dark.
A resilient, defiant shoot pushing through the dark.
Our planet slowly but surely begins to heal -
Birdsong in China, clear waters in Venice, plummeting pollution,
Birdsong in China, clear waters in Venice, plummeting pollution,
Earth pauses to take a breath.
Our community reaches out with open hearts,
Taking notice of the elderly, helping strangers,
Taking notice of the elderly, helping strangers,
Sharing a limitless capacity for kindness.
Our families unite, exchanging frequent messages of hope and love,
Finding virtual togetherness across the generations,
Being creative, thinking outside the box.
The silver lining appearing around this viral cloud shines brightly.
There is no talk of racism, hate crimes, immigrants,
No criticism of NHS waiting lists, inefficiencies or inadequacies.
Instead, 'NHS heroes', government funding and a new togetherness emerge.
There is no talk of racism, hate crimes, immigrants,
No criticism of NHS waiting lists, inefficiencies or inadequacies.
Instead, 'NHS heroes', government funding and a new togetherness emerge.
For truly, we are all in this together.
There is only one enemy here.
By Dr Rachel McCoubrie 21.3.20
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