2020

I

Excitement burgeoned as a new decade set afoot

Amid the crisp, winter air, whispers of a virus began to surface

A familiar predator, yet which appeared so foreign

That sent people into fear and made governments nervous

II

Chaos unraveled and uncertainty settled in

Windows shut, borders closed, and hospitals arose

Essential workers marched to the frontline, brave but unequipped

Watching as cases reached daily highs and the economy record lows

III

Dirt was shoveled aside to make space for coffins

Families torn apart by oceans or cities or plain glass windows

Victims filled wards as they fought under ventilators

Isolation become our friends and health workers our heroes

IV

The world trudged on, unveiling deep injustices

The pandemic of racism killed George that day

Entangled in the veins of our darkest history

Protests spread like wildfire as we shouted his name

V

Nature played its course and turned Californian skies orange

Unrest beset Ethiopia – in Yemen, hunger remains a daily fight

But small victories were won – new leaders, even days COVID-free

As face coverings became a norm, and curfews alike

VI

New waves rolled in, swallowing lives like sand

Widening the cracks in a world already divided

Leaving the poor behind and innocent lives lost in ashes

But we are fighting the same war, no matter what we decided

VII

Our unwavering faith in the light at the end of this tunnel

Takes form in lessons of the past and the rollout of vaccines

From it all we emerge more informed, grateful, resilient

Prepared to embrace the new year, full of things that can be