The Pandemic Heist – Written Sunday 22nd March 2020 (Aged 45)

The Pandemic Heist

it has been a privilege –
to turn our blind eyes
to blame others
and to show such little care
or for us to enjoy ignorance
as if there are bucket loads going spare
it has been a privilege
to enjoy our ignorance
and display such a brazen lack of understanding

now, this pandemic disease
starts to remove that privilege
it wakes us from slumbers and such deep sleep
it demands clear and precise diction
from our societies previously slurred speech
it mocks all the middle class,
the, ‘tick box lefist’,
the ‘patriotic’ man who relishes his graduation –
from the school of hard knocks
it mocks the rich and powerful –
as they are now forced to gorge –
on socialism, community and government responsibility

for so long, we have felt special and immune
now this pandemic disease removes that immunity
and it forces us to look at the true world,
the one which is always fragile and full of uncertainty
the one, neoliberalism,
tried to assure us, did not exist
that the truth was that capitalism and free markets
gave us order, except that was actually a myth
it has been a privilege –
that so many of us, seemingly could afford not to care –
or think that they themselves did not need to pay a price
this pandemic disease has take all our privilege
in the most audacious and daring heist




James Garratt – Sunday 22nd March 2020


More poems at 
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/


More about this blog, The Boy Behind the Glasses, here
 https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/2020/01/08/the-boy-behind-the-glasses-an-introduction/


More poems from 2020 here 
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/category/poems-and-writing-2020/