When you're gone
the daffodil laments
linger

do you know
I'm still remembering
waltzing back

dreaming my dreams
pretty eyes
never grow old

this is the day
roses
raining in my heart.

in the end
will you remember
what you were

You were gasoline
Waiting for one lucky match
Shame I was a dud

these hands shave countless faces
these hearts unconditionally care
these eyes cry tears for strangers
these brave souls are still there
through these frightening times.

they cannot stay at home
they are the essential pillars of society
underequipped and undervalued
and they're on the frontline
fighting an awful virus.

they are begging for facemasks
they are begging for gowns
why should they beg for the protection
necessary to stop the spread of infection?
they are being let down

they are the ones who stand at bedsides
the nurses monitoring vital signs
the carers providing essential care
all of them safeguarding lives
while their own are being put at risk

so while you applaud
remember to never again say the words
"just a carer" or "just a nurse"
because blessed are the keyworkers
who risk their lives to help others.

J.Walker April 2020

If we must
limit
our interactions
to online
I may still
appear
to be
speaking
to you
but this voice
is not mine.

This face shows
no traces
of my anxieties
and fears
because
my real self
has been
filtered
away
and
replaced
with
dog ears.

We used to
FEAR
The viruses
lurking
online
rather than
the viruses
that exist
in real life.

Funny how
things
change.

The stupid things that people say
They drive you to insanity
They’re an unwelcome distraction
When you try to climb back out of the hole you’re in
But just can’t find the traction
The stupid things that people say
They bring no consolation, only dismay
They can’t rearrange the disarray
Or put the pieces back into place
They’re only stupid things that people say.

The scariest things are the things we cannot see
The scariest things lie in wait, we hardly dare to breathe
The scariest things are out there causing death and disease
The scariest things are inside of us, so we self-quarantine

The scariest thing is never knowing when this will pass
But I guarantee you that hard times never last
And the greatest things are also things we cannot see
Love and hope, and the spirit of community!

I overheard some loudmouth proclaim
that you are nothing but trash
If that’s true then you could say
that I must be the refuse collector
because I looked at you
and saw something to treasure.