My dear friend I would like to tell you
That things are good here, all is well
And soon we will meet again, rejoice
Afore a glass of white wine, bathe

Under the sun, play cards by the lake,
Immerse in waters caress, the algae,
Walk on golden sands watch the others,
Smile, invite them on our mat, for a chat,

You would tell us stories, we would awe,
For small mercies thank the Gods.

You left a while ago, it was summer then,
Boarded your ship to the next star,
Told me you wouldn’t have been long
Yet we revolved around ours, thrice and still

You are nowhere to be seen, you could not
Possibly imagine what has happened since,
Walls have been erected cities bombed,
Ethnicities cleansed missiles launched,

Many overdosed, gulping opioids to kill
Their pains, chatbots have developed
Their own language deceiving humans,
While climate unleashed hurricanes

Wildfires lit the solar eclipse, in crisis
Immigrants flee violence and Toys
R no longer Us, I saw a super blue moon
Earth has a temperature, the Emperor

Abdicated, the prime minister resigned,
The island left the continent whilst flames
Destroyed the cathedral of medieval times,
The rainforest is vanishing in smoke

The Sultan died, we landed on the dark side
Of the moon, a new virus has come to life,
Unfolding a pandemic no one is allowed to climb
The tallest mountain, hundreds of thousands

Human beings are being murdered, in wars
Though nobody cares to end them, but for ten
Thousand sick and old departed with a flue
We have all been locked down and invited

To respect each other and remember
Social responsibilities keeping distances
Care about one another’s health forgetting
All the other deaths for which indeed

We are directly responsible. I miss you
I am going crazy hoping you will return
Soon enough to inspire me with your stories
This summer and once again.

[Featured artwork: We Used to Live There by Frank Moth]