'Be anxious for nothing..." ~Philippians 4:6

Monday, April 6, 2020

QUARANTINE LIFE: POETRY PROMPT--PANDEMIC































PANDEMIC 

We’ve all gotten our marching orders

Not to run headlong into the fight

The instinct of some, is to tangle

But this win comes from inside


Yet, there is still great denial 
Still those content to defy
And arrogantly ignore warnings
Caring less if others die

And when there’s death, just as before
Another ailment will be blamed
Not complications from stupidity
Pneumonia will be named
To say the virus was the culprit
Exposes them to guilt and shame
Unnecessary loss of life
But to some, it’s just a game

Contradicting thoughts reign daily
No confidence in some to lead
Corrupt and inept, are the speakers 
Who show no care for those in need

Those with integrity are silenced
Those expert, suck up or shrink
Those who are complicit, are frightened
To say what they honestly think
Ignorance in high places-- 
Astounding
There’s tone deafness and callousness, too
If not for those who urgently seek truth
Few would actually know what to do

Everywhere we find creatives
Seeking ways to lessen pain
Trying hard to find the beauty
In a world that’s gone insane
Reaching back for long lost music
Even as some makers pass
Finding solace in the music
Wondering how long this will last

Sometimes it’s like a movie
Other times, like a bad dream
The incompetence is quite exhausting
More infuriating, is the greed
Someone knew what was on the horizon
But they chose to say nothing, except
To their well heeled friends and loved ones
Whose portfolios went up for sale 

Every day the numbers are growing
The sick and the dying alike
Are mourned from an unnatural distance
Crematoriums running on high
Front line workers, exhausted, are pleading
Preaching methods to flatten the curve
Homeless people in parking lots, sleeping
Those who could help, lack the will and nerve

The heroes we see are unlikely
Those who we all ignored before
Who knew taking one’s life in one’s own hands
Meant a trip to the grocery store?
Or a mall, a church, or a concert?
A museum, a club, or a gym?
The likelihood everyone’s listening
Hovers between none, and slim

But as always, apologies abound
Only after the damage is done
The backpedaling’s simply amazing
Demonstrating regard for no one
It seems everyone’s on their own now
Charity; humanity reign
In the absence of a leader
Unsung heroes emerge again.




VRWc2020

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