Covid Scars

Good news as a vaccine appears close but the damage is already done.

Society stretched

and broken,

pulled apart

at the seams.

 

Draconian rules,

imposed,

no wriggle room.

 

We tumble into

the abyss,

dryly.

 

Cycle,

recycle,

lockdown

and repeat.

 

Mask,

no mask,

social distance,

close commerce

down.

 

Mounting debt

national payback

forecast to empty

the war chest,

 

no jobs for

the boys and girls

as youth unemployment

burgeons,

 

as poverty

becomes an epidemic

with no vaccine,

 

as saving lives

costs lives,

and livelihoods,

 

drives us into

 a frenzy

of frustration,

 frozen fear,

 

a frontier

of mistrust,

fake news,

fake science,

poor science.

 

Society

lost deep

in a forest

of uncertainty,

 

such a back-draft,

an inferno,

a tsunami of consequences

looming

as the hurricane

rips the heart

out of our

confidence.

 

09/11/20

Author's Note

Reviews

[Amber Stone]

wow John!!!, thank U for this amazing poetic report on current situation that strikes there and also globally. great use of short but smartly loaded lines with harsh truths and images not to disguise them but to make them arrive expressly and without restrictions to reader's consciousnesses; and the rhythm is amazing, like a cascading fall that falls and rises again and grabs reader's attention from everywhere. those images are so vivid! Thank U John, one more time, with twined hug. sincerely, Amber.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Amber. This epidemic has made an impact so good to be able to convey it in words. Again thank you!

[Marina]

You described the nature of this topsy turvy year very well. I for one can't wait until the year ends. Hopefully these vaccines really work and we can return to some normality as soon as possible. 💛

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed the world is holding its breath Marina. Many thanks.

[Robert Trakofler]

well penned! as far as I can see the one unifying thread we all share is the mandate to end the pandemic if ever there was a route to an end it would be this if we could all just set aside our differences and concede to do the things to end this virus many of the other symptoms would go away! well said brother John

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I think the sentiment is spot on Robert, however reality is that man is so self centred it is unlikely divisions of every sort can heal. When they do more take their place. For sure we need to knock this virus on the head! Many thanks Robert.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes the consequences, but two different vaccines may be really close.

They won't do much good unless we follow the other rules....and we are not being good enough at doing that. We need to wake up....and fight this thing ourselves...it won't be done for us.
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Without a vaccine flu is just as dangerous yet we have little fear of it these days. I guess the same will be true of covid in a few years. Many thanks for reading Jacob.

[Sami Khalil]

An invisible enemy. A new found sad reality. Humanity is facing multitude of things on many fronts. I hope we can all an end in sight. A glimmer of hope is needed. You write with power, conviction and truth. Marvelous sir.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you so much Sami. Let us hope the vaccines are forthcoming.

[Sami Khalil]

Yes siiiirrrr. You are welcome.

[Sami Khalil]

"a tsunami of consequences

looming

as the hurricane

rips the heart

out of our

confidence"

[Sami Khalil]

"We tumble into

the abyss,

dryly."



"Cycle,

recycle,

lockdown

and repeat."

[Chris Shaw]

I heard the news today about this vaccine. It will certainly lift many spirits and go a long way to start rebuilding the catastrophic damage inflicted world wide by this terrible disease that came out of China. Yes, let's not forget where it started and how they kept it quiet. Your free verse poem covers in excellent detail the tsunami of damage, the deaths, broken economies, mental illness, physical illness, isolation, loneliness, despair, fear and loss of freedom. We have been on a war footing with an invisible enemy. Well done John.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Yes we have been on a war footing with a silent and unseen enemy. Let's hope the vaccine pays off and we can get back to living sometime next year. It will take some time as countries approach things in their own way and poorer countries struggle to afford the vaccine and distribute it. Many thanks Chris.