A Centennial Event Poem by Dean Meredith

Another year of innocence
It all began so clear
Before the plague & pestilence
And unaccounted fear

The resolutions came & went
Despite those well-meant plans
And whether earned or sought or sent
Could it be God's or man's?

A virus spread from east to west
Travelling near & far
Infecting pure with zeal & zest
Like flies trapped in a jar

Our old folk gasped & wheezed for air
Struggling hard for breath
And governments were slow to care
Markets dicing with death

Leaders put hands over their eyes
Hoping no-one would see
And held the line with well-told lies
Full service for a fee

Around the world it spread like fire
But quieter for sure
And experts fought as guns for hire
Containers hid the gore

Borders were closed but ships sailed on
Trying to find a port
And fibs were told & deals were done
With nudge & wink & rort

Airports emptied & planes stayed down
Doctors moved to the fore
Each city became a ghost-town
Streets patrolled by the law

Businesses closed, workers kept home
While hospitals filled up
And people could no longer roam
Although a few said "nup"

And the old & sick died too soon
Nurses doing their best
And for high-tech it was a boon
Rich men feathered the nest

Mass graves were dug, bodies piled in
Quickly covered with dirt
On a planet clouded with sin
Filled with sorrow & hurt

It was agreed - business came first
There was no other choice
Billionaires must quench their thirst
Workers don't have a voice

Without money things would be worse
Families are in need
For funeral costs & the hearse
Nothing to do with greed

And the pollies played on unrestrained
Fronting up for the news
Their journalists mostly well-trained
Except a few with real views

And the young were all but immune
Some not giving a damn
Raving like fools under the moon
Selfies on I-Phone cam

So the rest at home watched TV
Looked at the latest count
Wondered when a vaccine might be
Stats continued to mount

And blame-games became a new sport
Partisans cheered along
Silence & order sold & bought
Pretending right was wrong

But the world spun on regardless
And this was not too odd
Disease exposing the heartless
Science replacing God