So let there be no mistake we are at war,
though our enemy wears an invisible cloak,
targets indiscriminately without fear or remorse
leaves no corner of the globe untouched and yet
We rehearsed this catastrophe four years ago.
Identified our weaknesses, of which there were many
Put in the pile; ‘too difficult’, it’ll never happen
But it is. Here. Now. Each minute of every hour.
And who is at the front line fighting this enemy?
Who is it that is taking the brunt for us all?
Not the politicians, city slickers, certainly not the banks
It’s our NHS staff who are right in the face of it
having to fight an enemy they just can’t see
except in the lungs and the eyes of their patients
Seeing the fear of death, whilst knowing they are at risk, too
Yet, and this is what makes it so hard for me
They needn’t have been at such high risk at all
if in the knowledge of what would be needed
those who could have acted on all our behalfs
had taken reasonable and necessary steps.
Ensured that when, not if, a global pandemic struck
we could arm front-line troops with what they needed
not throw them to the mercy of the four winds, as
we did with our young boys over a hundred years ago.
So fuck you gutless, incompetent politicians.
Hold your heads in shame, you deserve no sympathy.
we’re now throwing money away like confetti, to
shut the door, but the bloody horse has bolted.
We could have saved many more by spending before.
When the dust has settled on this human disaster
and we are all remembering our dead, as best we can
let us not forget that we were involved in a war.
and that every man and woman on that front line
deserves our admiration and so much more
every one of their names must be inscribed
on memorials in each place they came from
their bravery should be remembered year after year
the same way the fallen are from wars fought before
never let us forget that they died to save us
and never let our NHS be under prepared anymore.