It started like the common flu,

With a high temperature and sneezing,

Then a dry but constant cough,

Leading to a difficulty in breathing.

The first case was in a Chinese town,

But it spread so rapidly,

That before anyone could stop it,

It was infecting globally.

From China to the Americas,

From Australia to Spain,

Britain and most of Europe,

And clear across to the Ukraine.

Till now, with two million plus infected,

And near two hundred thousand deaths,

With most countries now in lockdown,

And no sign of a vaccine, yet,

And our economies are collapsing,

Though they’re the least of our concern,

For later we’ll have time to count,

The cost in financial terms,

We’ve lost two hundred thousand souls so far,

With two hundred thousand names,

So many grieving relatives,

But this is no time for blame,

Though blame will come in torrents,

Whether justified or not,

Over cover-ups and PPE,

Though for now it matters not a jot,

For it won’t stem the flow of innocents,

That this pandemic’s taken,

For if we think the worst is over now,

Then sadly, we’re mistaken,

For even as my pen flows ink,

From nib down to the page,

Covid-19 takes the lives,

Of every creed and age,

From the worlds remotest regions,

To our congested city streets,

Every continent on earth,

Is struggling to defeat,

This invisible assassin,

The worst we have ever known,

That is forcing all but the essential few,

To remain inside their homes,

In the hope that social distancing,

Will slow the infections spread,

Ease the strain on hospitals,

And minimise the dead.

To help those aforesaid mentioned,

Heroic essential few,

That lay their own lives on the line,

Just doing what they do,

To help those of us infected,

And those that might yet be,

Return to health and happiness,

Within our community,

Those Nurses, Doctors, firemen,

Police and Paramedics,

And all those who play a vital part,

From drivers to academics,

That carry on regardless,

To help those most in need,

To beat this world Pandemic,

God grant that they succeed.

By S.E.Ralph

30-4-2020