Dear Sir Re: China Originating Viral Infectious Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Poem by Gert Strydom

(in answer to Jay Basu)

A spreading death-bringing thing concerned you
on that fateful Sunday night where you did act right,
called a lock-down, did in government what you can do,
ordered medical personnel and the military it to fight.

To stop COVID-19 you sealed off the country,
did put the Disaster Management Act in place
where a National Emergency was a possibility
and calmly you did everyone in South Africa face

but real life is not like it is in pure mathematics
where everything can stop in a moment in time.
People, animals and insects are up to their own antics
and breaking the lock-down is probably a kind of crime

as death and infection do spread when you come too close.
Just now I saw a passing beggar in the street that wants to eat,
against being in one of your facilities that do control he chose,
I warned him about death and the Police on their supervising beat.

The neighbour and his contractor yesterday started their building job
and I warned them about neighbouring Brakpan being infected,
that they have got to stop or at a time one of them would dead drop,
to my surprise everything became quiet and my wishes were respected.

I know you do not want to spread fear in telling where the virus is
but the neighbour at the back does think that you are over-reacting
and in affecting lives are showing your power by doing this
but I have been looking carefully to the way that you are acting

have concluded that you are doing in the ways that is possible
your very best to retain South Africa and to safe every life
and the deaths that COVID-19 brings to me is incredible,
I am living with two very old people, are missing my wife,

but daily sacrifice is now at the order of things for us all,
a friend reminded me that each doctor, nurse and paramedic
did not sign up for this but like soldiers they will fall
that they do not have Kevlar or some or other trick.

with which they can this pandemic properly face.

Sincerely yours

© Gert Strydom

[Reference: "LOCKDOWN POEM III" by Jay Basu.]