THE CORONA TIMES!

The pandemic started,

brought with it a sense of insecurity

confused it just glared,

at everyone's immaturity

how could one judge

its way of mortality

too soon too fast

here now and gone then

corona was thy name,

COVID 19 they christened!

how could we know

its way of spread

too early too vast

from one to many

here this moment

moved to another zone, another second!

from the bat to the lab

all the theories flew!

with the upsurge so high,

what did we learn

what did we buy?

of lessons of handwashing

and with sessions of social distancing

didn't we all not just recover our senses

of breath, of open airs,

of outdoor scares and indoor chores

didn't we all observe and experience

so much more about human nature?

such fragile souls, much fragile egos

shattered houses, battered spouses

broken homes, bruised relationships

where one wanted care and comfort

others just gave criticism and condemnation

where one needed approval and acceptance

others just gave refusal and resent!

derogatory and stigma became the norm

when they just seeked some hugs, cozy and warm

when they didn't want to get tagged just as a survivor

but wanted to play the role of a brave warrior

all they could do was pinpoint

the idiosyncrasies, the individuality

which had the larger picture in mind

not just the concern of the daily grind!

the "lockdown's got talent" became another game

to show off to the world

of the cooking skills, of the hobbies

you never had time for,

as the money minded us,

just ran the rut!
Instagram and facebook,
Tiktok and YouTube,
all flooded with pictures, videos and emotions
either saree challenges, new recipes,
new artworks and dance moves!

but who really cares?

weren't we supposed to cook, clean

keep it all together

even in the dirty routine?

and even if we did,

why are we running the rat race

in the period of lockdowns and quarantines!?

what do we want to prove and to whom

what you shall do after this ends,

and what you did before,
if it isn't starkly different

from the good that became the best

and the bad that didn't become the worst

in the long run, will it really matter!?
if this was to keep the world together,
let's keep it sane to bare this cold weather
to hold it close, and say no! we shall win!
then we have already won it!!

the healthcare workers and police hustled,

but still the crowd bustled,

with essential services on point

still long ques, supermarkets lined!

milk and grocery took the chime

almost unacknowledged in the daily grime

instead of the batman and spiderman suits

superheroes now wore PPE's

keeping their white coats at bay

they still saved lives,

they were not caked faces, no longer the role models,

providing entertainment on the television

nor were they saving the world as promised in their movies!

the world clapped, danced to celebrate these frontline warriors,

but alas! some didn't even let them have a coffin, a grave!!

their service to humanity was par excellence,

but what they got in return was no more than resentful!

didn't they deserve dignity in death

if not just violence at workplace?

how much do they suffer in silence

to make your life one that of minus the sirens!?

"foreign return" was no more a fab statement
getting them back became mandatory
corona or no corona,
the nation thats named "Bharat"
accepted them all with welcoming arms!
after several rescue missions for brave warriors
they brought back daughters and sons who had migrated from their own motherland,
or were travelling around the world,
without questioning their loyalty
of those who had left forever and
without a doubt for everyone who had put
their hard earned money to trot the globe
when we didn't think past these barriers
some made it about religion
the nasty game of politics they say!
divide and rule they shriek!
the migrants were no better
providing cheap labour to earn their bread and butter
got treated step motherly even this time,
when there was vande bharat mission to rescue the elite
we ran shramik express to move them home
shramik they were in true sense
they toiled for their paapi pet!
and toiled to get back to their own homes too
on days got sprayed with hypochlorite solution
as if the virus reeked from their bodies!
other days walked, cycled,
or hid into trucks in multiples to reach a place called home.
"marna hai toh ghar pe marenge" they said
such was their tragedy,
that they feared not death
but they feared not seeing their loved ones,
one last time, if alas! the chinese virus struck them!!
being 'atmanirbhar' was their style always
the "global become local" was their tagline!

anyways this shall pass too

thought the survivor and the warrior

with no time to spare

not a tear to shed!

'cuz to make the world a better place

they ought to be stronger, together

they ought to teach mankind

that there ain't no religion higher than humanity

no place as sacred as fresh morning air,

no better heart and soul than that of a lover,

no greater prayer than that of the caress of a mother!

no stronger arms than that of the father who slogged all life,

no rock solid support of the friends that always belonged and cared!

so let us belong to this earth,

as if it were family

as if the survival of every being mattered

human or animal, big or small,

however the religion, the caste, the race,

the colour, the beauty, the grace!

let us take care of nature and its fury

as if it were here to stay

they say there is silence before the storm

lets say this is the chaos before the peace!

lets unsettle a little bit

with the masks and quarantine

to ease into a better tomorrow

of cures and vaccines

to erase the dark era of this pandemic

into a future full of hope

and a life not so tragic

but a bit more poetic!