A Conversation With Corona Poem by Prem Nizar Hameed

A Conversation With Corona

Rating: 4.8


Of late, my laptop was attacked by a virus
And that resulted in a lockdown of all myactivities
Since I am not familiar with mobile typing
I started reading the printed news papers for a while

Today, while I was reading one of the news papers
I saw the Corona move on the front page
Immediately I kept the newspaper one meter away
To maintain the social distancing;
But the Corona virus, adjusting its crown on its head
Stood up on the page and asked me politely:
"Why you stay at home, now a day? "

I did not trust its cordiality or hospitality or decency
So, having ensured that the virus was tightly locked
In the first column of the news item, I replied:

"To protect my family and my beloved ones from you
My beloved ones, yes they include my siblings,
Friends, neighbours and all living things around me,
And just remember, all except you"

It stared at me
But I did continue:
"If it was a sacrifice of one-man army
I would have happily come forth to satiate your thirst,
For the sake of the entire world,
But it is a war against the unexpected
And the undefined enemy like you;
Besides, I fail to assess the unpredictable disaster
You have reserved for the mankind,
So, I stay at home to safeguard myself and others"

"That's all? " the virus laughed at me

"Do you want to know more why I stay at home?
To protect my body and the organs
Because I am a registered organ donor;
Unfortunately, if you succeed to overcome me,
You are so inhumane that you will spoil all my body
Only to recycle your lineage in me;
That is horrible, and the result could be:
Neither does my body get an entry
To the study table of any medical students
Nor can my organs be donated to the needy patients;
At the end, with my beloved ones being forced to see
Anfarewell to my final journey,
With many consoling my family members digitally,
I will be cremated or buried in deep grave by the protocol
Along with condoling phrase: may your soul rest in peace!
But how can my soul rest in peace in such a body sabotaged by you! !
How can I bear such a bitter reality meted out to a noble cause! ! !

So, I stay at home to safeguard my social commitment:
My determination of being a healthy donor"

"But, though transient, I taught you some lessons, too,
For which I shall be remembered in your history" it argued

"What lessons? "

"All your arrogance and avarice can be reduced by a virus;
Lines of control, border lines, take off signals
Landing signals or red signals can be breached by a virus;
Standing on the pile of life-taking nuclear war heads and arsenal,
Your world is being forced to cry for the life-supporting
Ventilators, oxygen cylinders, masks, medical kits etc
Even a piece of soap is more valuable than a war gadget now
Religious fortresses and worship places (or palaces?)
Closed their doors to open your eyes to see humanity everywhere
Nothing can, no one can rule above love and humanity
And the changes are going on and on…"

"But, once again, for your blind and kind information,
It is proved that the great concept
Of man's optimism makes no change!
It stands beyond the reach of any virus, even you, the Corona"

"It means you will overcome? "

"Yes, we shall overcome by the dedicated team works
Of our medical and civil authorities.
Upholding all the preventive steps;
We are safe under the angelic wings of our medical ethics
Our confidence echoes louder than the collective sound of all thunders
Hearing that, you, the Corona virus shall stop renewing
Your hidden agenda with death, and leave the world forever…"

I shouted and pounded frequently on my pillow
My granddaughter woke up to that, and asked:
"What happened grandpa? "
My wife replied to her from the other end:
"Your grandpa must have again gone behind the Corona
With a battalion of soap bubbles and sanitizer"

(It was written during the first lockdown)

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bharati Nayak 29 July 2020

Lessons from Corona virus in the words of the poet- - All your arrogance and avarice can be reduced by a virus; Lines of control, border lines, take off signals Landing signals or red signals can be breached by a virus; Standing on the pile of life-taking nuclear war heads and arsenal, Your world is being forced to cry for the life-supporting Ventilators, oxygen cylinders, masks, medical kits etc' ,

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Bharati Nayak 29 July 2020

What a wonderful write about our war against Corona Virus! 'Today, while I was reading one of the news papers I saw the Corona move on the front page Immediately I kept the newspaper one meter away To maintain the social distancing; But the Corona virus, adjusting its crown on its head Stood up on the page and asked me politely: " Why you stay at home, now a day? " '

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Douglas Scotney 26 July 2020

I like the image of grandpa wielding his battalion behind the corona

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Belle Wassermeister 26 July 2020

Fascinating story!

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