Garth Rattray | We can beat COVID-19 together

This is our little island, the place that we call home, but people strayed from discipline, and crime began to roam.

It soon became the norm, to ignore all traffic signs,

To drive wherever anyone pleased, ignoring all the lines.

The mentality of indiscipline, spread across the land,

It crossed all social barriers, it got way out of hand.

Rectitude and propriety, it seemed had gone away,

From common sense and fair play, people’s minds did stray.

Parties and merriment, many did they crave,

Hairstyles, nails and skimpy clothes had become the rave.

So powerful was the urge to revel all through the night,

That parents abandoned their little ones, it became quite a plight.

Then came COVID-19, on our shores it did arrive,

Now we will need discipline, if we are to stay alive.

Rectitude and propriety would be handy at this time,

Without those things, staying safe will be too steep a climb.

Despite the months of effort, by medics from everywhere,

Many congregate as they please, here, there and anywhere.

They crowd together at markets, to buy foodstuff to eat,

And they stand together so close that they step on other’s feet.

I see them often clustered, back to belly or face to face,

Could they really be that stupid? It’s simply a disgrace.

Are they from another planet, far away from here?

A place COVID-19 hasn’t been, so they mingle without a care.

People still pack into taxicabs, five, six or even more,

They are so many that their bodies put strain on every door.

None of them wear masks, drivers and passengers the same,

They disrespect the COVID threat; they seem to think it’s tame.

TOO MANY CLUSTERS

They cluster at bus stops, and at the wholesale stores,

They rub shoulders in marketplaces, inside and outdoors.

They meet and greet as if all is well and we are all free,

From the COVID-19 virus, their behaviour certainly baffles me.

They attack our policemen, when they try to enforce the law,

They say, “Party haffi keep!” that phrase sticks deep within my craw. It smacks of disobedience to everything that’s right,

It reeks of recalcitrance, it’s an invitation to fight.

They rail and fuss and fight against the only ones who care,

Their lack of knowledge knows no bounds, they don’t know what to fear.

They break curfews and quarantines, they scamper all about,

Spreading the plague easily from the hand, the nose and mouth.

I’ve seen inside of business places, where workers are relaxed,

No masks, no distancing, no sanitisation, their carelessness was maxed.

And if you dare to point it out, that they’re endangering everyone,

They look through you as if you’re not there and that they wish you gone.

The war you see is with the virus, and with all who aid its spread,

The hardest battle is not with COVID-19, it’s with those with a tough head.

They cling steadfast to indiscipline, breaking rules and all the while,

Caring not for the lives of others because safety doesn’t suit their lifestyle.

There are only two ways to be immune to this virulent little beast,

It’s by infection or by injection, and so at the very least.

We must all wear masks when in public, for it’s plain to see,

Masks protect me from you, and they protect you from me.

We must keep our distance, when we’re out in the public sphere,

The virus finds it difficult to get from here to way over there.

We must keep our hands clean, and keep them from our face,

These simple rules are easy, and they will save the human race.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.