Those who endure 2020 to see old age
Will stand tall when its history is recalled.
Though they might have memories
Of fire and flood,
Drought and disease,
Loneliness and anxiety,
Idleness and poverty,
And the reality of mortality,
They will remember with no regrets
The sacrifices offered,
The patience practised,
When shows were shuttered,
Merriments were abolished,
Tournaments were shelved,
Livelihoods were demolished,
And the era of easy travel unravelled.
What stories they will recount in their flowing cups!
But, in standing so tall and telling their tales,
They will be perched atop the shoulders of giants –
Titans who do not bear the famed names
Of politicians, nor scientists, nor financiers.
Those shoulders belong to the nameless –
The workers on the front line of service
In healthcare, emergency response, education,
Logistics, and the rest of the essentials –
And their invisible loved ones.
Could it be that heroes facing some future ordeal
Will deem themselves of lesser steel
Than those who fought on the fronts of 2020
And dared to secure posterity?
Note: Acknowledgement is obviously due to the Battle of Agincourt speech of William Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V”.
