Deprived of cellular structure man defined
Viruses as organisms at the edge of life,
Yet on life they feed and through natural selection
They evolve to unleash death, a pandemic, terror.

Reports are incongruent, measures bizarre,
Numbers don’t tally and scientists are in disaccord.
There is more than something fishy going on.
As political decisions drive the media to terrify,

Repeating numbers, unsoothing mantras,
Blaming labs and open markets equally, instilling
Confusion placing responsibilities conveniently
Solely on the Chinese. The usual suspects pleased.

Though deep down we all know, how it goes,
Some benefit from calamities as others pay the bills.

Alas, nothing new under the sky. Not even this time.

They wash their hands to rid of dirt, the smell of lies,
Infamy for delivering fallacious stories so we comply,
For thirty silver coins they sold Humanity to be crucified,
Promising resurrection through a miracle vaccine

Playing dice, for high stakes, returns on investments
Whilst our elder die, reduced to acceptable collaterals
Waging war against reason, murdering our immune system
And our thoughts through social distancing.

While Doctors’ voices go unheeded, some are censored,
And a little boy dressed in dungarees is kneeling,
He thrust superman in a wastepaper basket to play
With his new one and only hero, a Red Cross nurse,

Wearing an apron, a cape, and a facemask concealing
Her superpowers and a tender smile.

Who is at the edge of life?

[Featured artwork: Banksy for NHS, May 2020]