Lockdown #11: New Year Epilogue
As we slam dunked 2020 into the bin
Another COVID year was about to begin
We cannot be calm
Till our shot in the arm
Global vaccination, the only way to win
This virulent virus just keeps on giving
Even more contagious, more unforgiving
The UK health service
Not fit for this purpose
The most overwhelmed in memory living
The New Year national anthem says we’re now one
But we closed our state borders, how totally dumb
What Premiers decreed
Caused a massive stampede
Building these walls feels uncomfortably numb
So as people rushed home on the border dash race
Enough testing sites were not yet in place
No records taken
No documentation
Overwhelmed Victoria’s tracking and trace
This outbreak from Sydney’s northern beaches
Soon spread to Melbourne’s inner reaches
From an airline crew
The virus got through
You’d think before now, we’d have better procedures
My brother came for Christmas from WA
To COVID free Victoria, a holiday
But Premier so abrupt
Slammed his border shut
With Victoria’s cases just a handful a day
So we completed the online application
To return to that Westralian nation
All questions answered
Permission was granted
To fly back for two weeks of isolation
Left Melbourne on his westbound escapade
Unmasked passengers boarded in Adelaide
Spread germs on one plane
How really insane
Exposure all round as they coughed and sprayed
So my brother’s back in Perth doing quarantine
With Vickers gin and tonic with a touch of quinine
A solitary stay
Using holiday pay
And his family still in Thailand, bring on the vaccine
My cousin’s cancer has sadly relapsed
Shown strength when others would have collapsed
It’s a wake-up call
That COVID’s not all
We are still at risk to other mishaps
Our Prime Minister still has no COVID mandate
Different rules are in place for every State
No coordination
A loose federation
His only responsibility the international gate
While here at home we still do what’s right
He imports the virus on international flights
A difficult choice
But there’s no rejoice
When community infection reignites
Global leadership has shown to be somewhat ponderous
Thank God the pharmaceuticals have managed to conquer this
Vaccine so fast
Salvation at last
But we must include counties that’re far less prosperous
Indeed the serum will go to counties with cash
A mad scramble before their health systems crash
No consideration
For poorer nations
The race of self-interest, get your hands off my stash
Trump has incited gross insurrection
Still ranting about the stolen election
You’ve had your vent
So go fold your tent
The American people have made their selection
You’re a failed leader spreading lies and deceit
You’ll soon be as irrelevant as your garbled tweets
There’s been no precedent
This dangerous president
Surely this time, Trump’s got to be impeached
To my children’s aging grandparents in the UK
To my brother missing Jacob’s sixth birthday
And to get to NZ
Still a long road ahead
We must hang in there PLEASE get this vaccine underway.
Kevin Holmes • 11th January 2021
