Twenty twenty-two

Twenty twenty-two. Another year.
Covid is still here,
working its way through society,
ticking off, upon its way,
the letters of the alphabet
in Greek,
claiming lives
and sanity,
applying pressure to the NHS
and testing resources
to their limits and beyond,
pushing the government into twists
and convolutions
beyond imagining.

To mask or not to mask?
Keep sanitised and wash your hands.
Instructions clear,
yet blurred by lack of clarity in practice.
Do we, don’t we?
Will we, won’t we?
Can we, can’t we?
What? Join the dance?
What dance?
We aren’t allowed to mingle.
‘Gathering’ is out.

Oh, twenty twenty-two,
where will you take us?
What will we be allowed to do?
We really have little choice
but to follow the advice,
get jabbed, then boosted
(‘boostered’. Which is right?)

Nowt to do,
but ride the storm,
stay sane and hope
that it will pass.

David Bamford
Brampton