3 DECEMBER WHERE WILL WE BE IN 2021?

RECENTLY THE DOCTOR DIED

WHO CO-DEVELOPED THE FIRST MECHANICAL VENTILATOR 

IN RESPONSE TO THE 1950s POLIO EPIDEMIC   

CLEARED FOR UPTAKE

THE COVID-19 VACCINE DUE TO BE DISPENSED IN BRITAIN BEFORE CHRISTMAS    

IS THE FIRST OF ITS TYPE

BUT WHAT OF ORDINARILY HARD TIMES WITHOUT HIGH POINTS? 

NOT EVEN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL    

ONLY FLAT SCARRING LIKE RAILWAY LINES ACROSS FENLAND 

SUPPOSE THERE’S EUPHORIA IN THE SPRING    

IF BY SUMMER IT WEARS OFF LIKE AN OPIATE   

CAN WE COPE WITH THE CRAVINGS?     

WHAT IF THERE’S ANOTHER GREAT DISCOVERY   

DISPENSED AS WIDELY AS VACCINES? 

THAT THE OLD NORMAL

WAS MERELY CONVENTIONAL  

NOT DESIRABLE  

NOW WE’VE HAD TO STAND BACK FROM THE USUAL SCENE   

WILL TRADITIONAL ROUTINES BE ACCEPTABLE ONCE MORE?

WISHING WE CAN MAKE A BETTER JOB OF NORMALITY 
IF IT RETURNS NEXT YEAR  
YOURS TRULY  
THE NEWS POET