These days are our preparation for a new world: where solidarity shall flourish where the land will overflow with honey and the grass will sing with dew. When the dawn announces such a day the people will rejoice quietly mourn the dead pick up the pieces of existence and work together to make real a lasting city of peace a radiant edifice for stewardship of the land and all people. The needy shall be first and the music will draw forth dancing.
Every person will be free to delight in the fruits of the earth every child will hope every grandma will give thanks all the parliaments will announce a jubilee for the people and all will remember the ones who went before us, the hospital workers, the people who played their part.
We will savour life’s gifts and never forget the violence of such a contagion we will prepare for future calamity and commit to care for the wounded. We will begin our lives anew keeping our groaning earth before our eyes and coming to its aid.
We will bless the life we have been given and reverence the people among whom we live. We will reconcile with our rivals and never forget that we belong to each other we are as strong as the weakest among us we are the ones who will care for the land and love one another. We are the people about whom it is written ‘They shall be my people, and I shall be their God.’
I wrote this poem early on in the COVID19 pandemic as we experienced it in Australia: 24 March 2020. I couldn’t write with that urgent and ‘prophetic’ voice today; this second lockdown feels different to the first. That said, we can still reach for hope and encouragement.
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