8 NOVEMBER REMEMBERING THE ONSET OF DOUBT

THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL

HAS CALLED THE OLD LADY OF THE HOUSE

TO THE FRONT DOOR     

SUITABLY SOCIALLY DISTANCED  

HE’S HARANGUING HER  

FOR DUMPING HOUSEHOLD RUBBISH

IN THE STREET OUTSIDE  

THE STRIPES ON HIS ADIDAS TOP

ARE ALMOST A BADGE OF AUTHORITY    

CERTAINLY SIGNALLING THOROUGHLY MODERN BUREAUCRACY     

LECTURE OVER    

A STREET CLEANER IN HI-VIS VEST   

STEPS FORWARD CEREMONIOUSLY

OPENS THE SEALED BAG

CAREFULLY PACKED WITH RUBBISH  

AND EMPTIES IT ONTO THE OLD LADY’S DOORSTEP  

AMIDST THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC   

AMONGST INDIA’S 8½ MILLION CASES

AND 125,000  DEATHS              

THERE’S STILL TIME FOR CITIZENS TO BE GIVEN LESSONS ON THE ENVIRONMENT   

ENOUGH TIME TO REMEMBER THE WORD ‘DIDACTIC’             

EVEN TIME TO DOUBT

WHETHER  REMEMBRANCE

MAKES A DIFFERENCE                            

WISHING IT DOES 
OR THIS SUNDAY 
AND ALL THESE POSTS 
WILL HAVE BEEN LOVE IN VAIN    
YOURS TRULY    
THE NEWS POET