Pandemiversary

By Sikiladi

It’s here as an ugly reminder

It’s brought back the nasty fear

The anniversary of its declaration

The word that became an ugly sensation

Gripping the world in its clutch

The human race never feared such

Shutting businesses by the dozens

Shunting jobs causing welfare obstructions

Giving not a breather from the virus

Snatching away the breaths so vital and desirous

Pausing education by halting normalcy

Preventing sports from fan “ funtasy”

Masked celebrations all year round

No festivities, no festivals as robust on ground

The perkiness has lost its chirp and gust

Sightseeing sights have gathered dust

The stadiums haunt with empty seats

Cinema Halls silenced, losing their crowded beats

Auditoriums and Galleries turned ghostly

Temples and churches appearing meekly

Gatherings of sorts are now a past affair

Weddings too have lost their costly flair

Virtual meetings and lectures rule the day

Silently in our hearts we learnt to pray

The clubs and casinos turned grim

And restaurants finding chances slim

The precious hugs of loved ones missed

Greetings with kisses have been ditched

Shaking hands switched to Namaste mode

Social distancing is the current safety code

It’s here as an ugly reminder

The day last year when we lost much cheer

The “Pandemiversary” of the deadly virus

The declaration of the term stamping the virus

Covid 19 stretched its wings to grow further

Expanding its reach to yet another year

With added variants and various strengths

The pandemic daringly crossed continents

The hospitality industry suffered setback

But Hospital grounds never really sat back

The Travel and Tourism crawls with a limp

But safety and hygiene filled to the brim

The Pandemic altered lives in March 2020x

And continues till March 2021 hurting plenty

Gone from our lives those who mattered once

It’s been merciless, didn’t give them a chance

The parents of some, siblings of others gone

The plumber, the beautician risking life since gone

The curtain of death having turned flimsy

Medical fraternity, the saviors too feel queasy

So many amid us, with a feeling of hopelessness

Wishing to delete the Pandemic’s address

The Anniversary that no one would like to mark

For the Pandemic turned many a fortunes dark