‘Hi, Kelly here from NHS volunteers, is everything okay?’,
‘No dear, I’m sorry but I feel sad today.
My Dr. recommends I don’t go out, as I’m on the vulnerable list,
I’ve been thinking about my grandchildren and this precious time I’ve missed.’
‘Do your family live close by, is there any friends you can see?’,
‘My daughter works on the frontline & my friend passed of Covid recently.
I sit indoors day and night, the sun is way too strong’,
‘It’s okay’, I found myself telling her, ‘I’m sure it won’t be long’
That evening I scroll down my newsfeed and I read a familiar line,
“You do you” and “I’ll do me” as long as we all “BE KIND”!
As I scroll a little further I see lots of happy snaps,
Of people from different households sitting on each others laps.
My mind is saying don’t judge, we’re in the same storm not the same boat,
My heart is asking is this kindness? Is there really a need to gloat?
The lady on the phone, her few privileges taken away,
Do these people even realise how our vulnerable will pay?
When you flouted the rules this week, did you give it a second thought?
About how this virus spreads and how easily it’s caught?
But you aren’t on the vulnerable list, its just like regular flu,
You were prepared to take the risk because it wouldn’t affect you.
Unbeknown to you, you carried it, without even showing,
Then passed it on to 3 people without even knowing.
The R number increasing, with each person that you meet.
We’ll use the government as an excuse, we won’t bow at their feet.
If they can do it, we can too, we’ll teach them just you see...
Playing right into the hands of herd immunity.
And the poor lady on the phone, in her latter years...
The person on the bench where you sat and drank your beers....
And her elderly patient she looked after when she went to work that day....
It’s these poor people who will be the ones that have the largest price to pay.
Tell me is this kindness? If these were people that you knew?
That couldn’t hug their grandchildren, would you still be doing you?
You’re not really a bad person, you just have your blinkers on,
It’s not too late to put right the things that you’ve done wrong.
Don’t let these weeks of lockdown of all been done in vain,
For we will not see the rainbow through the thunderclouds of rain.
Next time just think of this poem, as a small and gentle remind,
When “you do you” and “I do me” maybe then we can truly “BE KIND”!
