An Ode to The Virus

An Ode to The Virus

It took a Virus for us to stop Running

And give ourselves a Pause

The empty streets, the rustle of leaves

The hustle of wind, the bustle of crows

The Silence of Sound, as we peered outside

Cluttered minds and wandering souls

Barren hearts and a lonely existence

The turmoil raged, as we peered inside

It took a Virus for us to start Thinking

And give ourselves some Peace

The Virus knew no boundaries of Land

Nor the superiority of our Religion

Social class crumbled in its wake

It  sure wasn't one for discrimination

Sealing our borders united the World (ironically)

A single prayer echoed in all our Hearts

Random acts of kindness (big and small) built bridges in society

The Whole was now more than its parts

It took a Virus for us to start Being

And give ourselves more Hope

The Virus roughed up lives and livelihoods

It was the Pandemic of Fear

It threatened with slow but sure destruction

Of objects, people and memories, near and dear

Seeds of Fear sprouted shoots of Realisation

The waters of Resilience , strengthened our Resolution

With flowers of Kindness and fruits of Empathy

We were now rooted in Discipline and Determination

And then we would rise above our differences

And halt the Virus in its surge

Picking up the pieces with a nervous victory

A new human kind would now Emerge

It would take a Virus for us to start Living

And give ourselves more Life

                                                                                           - 22nd March 2020

    As the World grapples with the Coronavirus and India declares a "Janata Curfew".