The Silent Spring
And so the silent spring began
The future measureless to man
When all seemed lost. They had no plan
To stop it
Babies born un-held by those
Grandparents who unwilling chose
To isolate now can’t expose
To risk
Nurses, doctors, those that care,
The service folk with vacant stare
Work though it all. Not knowing where
The danger
Ghostly shops. The quiet street
Where people aren’t allowed to meet
Two policemen stroll their empty beat
In sadness
The nursing home where carers cope
With reassurance, solace, hope
And offer a kaleidoscope
Of comfort
The flats where children caged are tamed
Where parents troubled can’t be blamed
For losing tempers. Barbs are aimed
In anguish
​
Empty schools and empty halls
Theatres with empty stalls
Nightclubs, mirrored glitter balls
Not spinning
Cinemas with silent screens
Projectors tombstones of machines
Where once light danced with magazines
Of movies
The empty public house stands bare
No glasses clink in pleasure there
The static one armed bandits stare
Inactive
The yellow windows glow as night
As families stay warm and tight
And try to do what they feel right
Together
The hope of humankind is dear
In hearts of those who, full of fear,
Wait in patience just to hear
‘It’s over’
The time will come when those who’ve fought
The battle, which was dearly bought
By heroes all who gave no thought
Of self
The kind, the good, the selfless, all
Who helped, with effort big or small
Somehow found the wherewithal
To beat it
