Corona Virus - Lock Down - Save Yourselves And Others Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

Had we, in any of our dreams ever foreseen
that the world could be richer or poorer, altogether?
Had we, in any of our fears ever imagined
that our world would be sick or afraid, altogether?
Had we, in any of our visualizations ever perceived
that we would be compelled to face a lockdown
so as to avoid a virus infecting us?
And though a lockdown may be strictly imposed
to save lives of people, the feelings of anxiety
mounts every hour as restriction of movement,
a loss of freedom plays its rhythm on those
who don't realize it is the need of the hour
it is the prevention from a deadly virus.

And though in a lockdown, one is innocent
and self-confines himself for safety;
in the jail sits a prisoner so calmly though guilty
when the law confines him to his sentence for years.
But a free man himself unanimously declares
that he does not deserve any lifestyle changes
or obstacles in his routine even if he is a beggar.
And though man has never succeeded in overpowering
weariness and illness that leads to weakness,
man never worries of the future
except when he is confronted by
helpless situations and dire consequences.

And now, though for long we may face a lockdown,
and though for long we may hide indoors
and though for long we may feel imprisoned
and though for very long we may fear the consequences
and choose not to accept the impact,
the virus will still keep searching us,
the virus will keep finding us wherever we may be
and whatever may be our adamancy
or whatever may be our rigidity
or whatever maybe our steps of safety and precaution.

And, as there is no hope for cure,
with a lockdown the world is trying to dodge the virus
that is vehemently trying to infect us;
and though we have tried to isolate ourselves,
the virus has kept on spreading its tentacles
like an octopus stretching its reach
everywhere, anywhere in this ocean of life
where happily have survived our generations
for past centuries with fortitude and resilience.

Had our ancestors a chance to seek refuge or remedy
against the rages of nature like disasters and calamities,
could they have not run or battled infections
before vaccinations could have found them?
What could they have done except cried aloud
for one last time before death the invisible Count
came riding on a saddle without a horse-carriage
or a whip to guide its path and with just one grip
of a hand lifted our forefathers from their beds
and no bandages or lockdowns could hold them back
though they might have put up a good fight
not to release their lives to the supremacy of death.

O' fate, can a lockdown avert that same route,
the virus has selected to travel
when in every city it waits and knocks
asking for surrender when no one is willing or prepared
to agree or to release their vivacity
and hope that life belongs to those
who want to live it to the fullest.