Lauren M. Hancock Poetry and Prose

Tag: COVID-19

  • Poem: Broken Heart Syndrome – Text and Spoken Word -17/07/20

    Poem: Broken Heart Syndrome – Text and Spoken Word -17/07/20

    Audio: Broken Heart Syndrome
    Author's Note:
The Australian state in which I live is currently in its second stage of Stage 3 lockdown due to soaring daily cases of COVID-19 infections. Stage 4 restrictions appear to be looming. As one can imagine, the isolation and change of lifestyle is mentally taking a toll on a lot of us.
 

Alas! My heart is breaking,
for calm, it is calling,
for normalcy, it shrieks,
for peace, my aches do not heed.
 
Undone! is my control,
myself as marionette seems not to
be letting down,
Lockdown, Second Round,
is playing tricks on my mind, on all of ourselves.
 
Life as we know it has shattered,
we must ride out this infection,
how to combat and avoid something
so unseen and sinister?
I cry!
Tears seep from the corners of my eyes.
 
Will we become entirely undone
by an invisible fiend
which lurks and rides in places we can
but cannot see?

2.0 is here for us,
and we are living through it,
not knowing whom next will be affected,
the ignorant laugh and socialise en masse,
and say, Not us!
Not them, indeed?
 
My heart is breaking,
What have we done?
Some leave their house with symptoms,
thinking we’ll all be fine,
that this illness is not that contagious,
yet one step into the public’s eyes
and exposure is a risk,
some flaunt their 'right' to unnecessarily shop,
to browse,
some fail to properly think.
 
My broken heart syndrome
overwhelms me now,
everything is too much
to cope with,
isolation has its pitfalls,
left to quietly think at length inside this room,
dysfunctional is the life within my chest,
combating me is emotional stress,
in the beginning I thought I’d get through this,
I thought I knew best…
I hope things improve soon.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Виктория Бородинова from Pixabay

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  • Poem: A Second Wave? – 27/06/20

    Poem: A Second Wave? – 27/06/20

    The world is tense,
while some are
carefree,
 
double digits daily,
this is gravely worrying.
 
Have we become
too lax
with social distancing?
 
Family gatherings
with warm kisses
and hugs,
entering personal territory?
 
Outbreaks in
differing neighbourhoods,
participation in
public protesting:
some finger-point the blame,
 
as they fought for
rights and beliefs,
making strong, fervent points,
 
while some unknowingly
spread coronavirus,
while maybe mildly
or completely unaware,
 
are there truthfully
some who should wear
the blame?
 
Did anyone detect early sickness
and hold little concern for others,
and show no care?
  
Why didn’t they
stay at home?
Those with symptoms,
but those asymptomatic,
how could they have known?
 
Retreat into
the safety
of your house,
we don’t want
firm restrictions
back in place,
 
although at this point
it’s becoming
seemingly necessary,
 
isolation impending,
for me, you,
us and them.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

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  • Poem: When Normalcy Returns – A COVID-19 Poem – 14/06/20

    Poem: When Normalcy Returns – A COVID-19 Poem – 14/06/20

    The shopping centres
reflect ‘normalcy’,
how shopping trips
used to be,
 
no swerving or dodging,
people now calmly walking,
going about their
business leisurely.
 
I see less face masks,
less pairs of latex gloves,
fewer irritated frowns,
 
the pace of shoppers
is an amble,
some a happy stroll,
no harried eyes
and frightened demeanours
like during the restrictions of old.
 
I am so pleased that
things are returning
to normal,
COVID frightened,
caused panic,
and that’s seemed to recede,
 
we can go about
our business with
less fear,
even go to a restaurant,
sit down for a hearty meal!
 
Though there is
still a need to be cautious,
we’ve earned the right to
somewhat relax,
 
our heavy restrictions
stopped what could reflected
other nations' 
extensive, terrifying outbreaks, 
our swift shut down
controlled COVID’s potential mass spread.
 
Now with numbers
reflecting mostly containment,
we can cherish our
newfound freedom,
gratitude shining
in our eyes,
our confidence in being outside
has been building.
 
Ever thankful,
ever gracious,
a simple shopping trip
has opened my eyes,
we live in a land so blessed,
I hope we understand this,
I hope we realise.
 
© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

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  • Poem: Lifted Restrictions – 29/05/20

    Poem: Lifted Restrictions – 29/05/20

    Freedom,
didn’t we all take it for granted?
The ability to walk with friends
in the park,
to sit on the bench with others,
or crouch by the pond feeding curious ducks.
 
Our ability to visit loved ones,
friends, family,
separated we had become.
 
The isolation felt so strange,
the family dog could only be walked
so many times,
working from home,
teaching and caring for children simultaneously,
hectic moments,
stress,
mayhem,
pressure bubbling.
 
But now it’s as though the clouds
have shifted,
sunlight shines down upon us,
warming our kind
as we open up,
lifted restrictions,
returning to somewhat normalcy,
and grateful we be
to know that our lives are
becoming what they used to be.
 
Now we are thankful,
realising what we had,
and excitement and trepidation
run alongside each other,
entwined,
little patters of fingertips grasping their hands,
some worriedly claim our freedom's returning too soon,
while others yelp hooray and cause a joyous hullabaloo.
 
Allow us to enjoy our freedom,
the sunlight,
she finally came,
and not a moment too soon,
she’s present with her warming life,
now our reunions:
hearts against hearts,
embraces expressed as love is loudly proclaimed.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Mabel Amber from Pixabay

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  • Poem: These Unknown Times – 26/03/20

    Poem: These Unknown Times – 26/03/20

    In these unknown times,
where regulations reign to keep us safe,
we stay home,
we rest,
we recoup,
we pray to God that we will get through this biological affray.
 
Burrowed down in our blankets,
our eyes plastered to the laptop screens,
watching the news with great earnest, 
what is going on?
How will this eventuate?
What does this all mean?
 
How will we survive when daily our lives are at risk
and humankind is anything but unscathed? 
We await with apprehension
while some are blasé about the rules
they go out,
they socialise,
themselves they gather without guilt.
 
Selfish and ignorant are such types,
but what can we do?
We are right for staying in,
it is our method of isolation,
our following of instructions,
the immovable truth,
 
A means that surely will slow the rate down,
of the infection taking as many as it can,
to those undisciplined voyagers,
I sadly say, 
all the best to you,
for us all, protect yourselves and remain strong.
 
© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Валерия Шарагина from Pixabay

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