Poem

A Poem for my friends

Lisa Dengate is one of the Strictly No Falling class teachers who we support. She has written this brilliant poem below for her and about her class during their time apart in lockdown:

A Poem For My Friends

This year is like no other

We’ve not seen this before

A microscopic virus

Has sent the world to war.

 

To stop its spread, the boffins say

We must all stay at home

Don’t socialise with anyone

No more can we roam.

 

Work from home if possible

And home-school all the kids

Go outside for just one hour

Any more the State forbids.

 

The Earth is quiet and Nature breathes

A huge sigh of relief

She starts the healing process

She must hurry, it will be brief.

 

The plane noise drowned the birdsong

Which can now fill up the skies

Cars have stopped, the air has cleared

What a wonderful surprise.

 

Our walks outside are precious

Take time with Nature’s glories,

Gardens bloom with flowers

Enriching all our stories. 

 

The weather has been so kind to us

The sun has warmed our faces

As we take stock and slow right down

Appreciate Nature’s graces.

 

It isn’t all plain sailing

Shopping’s been a chore

Not finding any loo roll

That really was a bore!

 

The solitude is hard to bear

For those who live alone

But friends and family rally round

At the end of every phone. 

 

We clapped for carers Thursday nights

To show appreciation 

Of NHS heroes saving lives:

The heartbeat of our nation.

 

Queuing for our groceries

Or buying stuff online

Here comes another delivery

I hope it will be mine. 

 

Baking now is popular

Get stuck in, kneading dough,

Or head out to the garden,

Lots of seeds out there to sow.

 

Technology keeps us connected

Zoom meetings fill the days,

YouTube quizzes, Netflix movies,

TV series to amaze.

 

We keep in touch via WhatsApp

We email, text and phone.

Video calling’s hilarious

My word your hair has grown!

 

We’ve time to do that project,

To paint or read or sew.

Finish up those little jobs

We started long ago.

 

Exercise is paramount 

As we all want to stay fit

Twice a week we ‘congregate’,

Drink’s ready, so’s our kit.

 

At 11am on Tuesdays

The same on Thursdays too

The DVDs are started

Time to galvanise the crew. 

 

Pat W’s sparkly leotard

Brings glamour to the class,

Mavis is in the garden

Tending to the grass.

 

Enid’s John looks after her

He really is so kind,

Heather has done a jigsaw

That nearly blew her mind!

 

Terry’s reading thrillers 

Before she goes to bed

She’ll wake up petrified with fright

Awful visions in her head!

 

Pat B’s op was a great success

She convalesced in Ashbourne 

She’s back at home, I’m glad to say,

Her joints are now reborn.

 

Edna’s grandsons cleared her garage

She was so pleased they scrubbed it clean,

Anne Y’s microwave gave up the ghost

Which really was so mean.

 

Our lovely boat ladies Sue and Jac

Have traumatised their pets

Waving those blinking pompoms

Is giving them the sweats!

 

Frances and Keith are plodding on

Trying not to climb the walls,

Noel and Anne amuse their dogs

Throwing toys along the halls.

 

Anna’s teaching Edward

The youngest of her kids,

Margaret’s sewing masks like mad

While her phone is on the skids. 

 

Sue S has trouble sleeping

We can all relate to that,

We’ve all had days that wobble

Where everything seems flat.

 

Kath goes to visit Nora

Oakland’s reigning jigsaw queen.

Jill, Peter H and Janet

Are nowhere to be seen. 

 

The residents, behind closed doors,

Stay safely in their flats

The kitchen brings them dinners

And leaves them on their mats.

 

Joyce B’s been watching wrestling,

And Sandra reads true crime,

Joyce H has been knitting angels

To while away the time.

 

Barbara C can’t play the DVD

She doesn’t have a machine

But she does the moves from memory

She doesn’t need a screen.

 

Helen’s had no kitchen 

She’s been baking in her van.

Pam got cooked in her garden

But sunburn’s turned to tan. 

 

Barbara H’s hubby is fast asleep,

Pat T’s digs up the weeds,

Pat F loves Mr Motivator

She’s following as he leads. 

 

Margaret and Joan had problems

Getting their discs to play

They kept on trying this and that

And now they work - hooray!

 

Sue’s cat attacks the pompoms,

Carol’s son Alex has joined our group.

Jean’s loving grandson, Ethan,

Was keeping her in the loop.

 

Peter P has sadly not been well

But his health is now improving.

Tony videoed Patricia

As evidence that she’s been moving!

 

When Joy went out her face mask broke

She had to wait inside the car

Her husband got the shopping in

Ah bless him, what a star!

 

Audrey worked for British Airways

I’ll bet she can tell some tales

Gill’s wrist strength is improving

Woe betide her males!

 

Kath’s widening her skill set

She’s bought a hula hoop

Can’t wait for her to show us

When we can meet up as a group.

 

It’s great we’ve stayed connected

Through our exercise regime,

Chatting on the phone sometimes

So we can let off steam.

 

Lockdown will not last for ever

But who knows when it will end

Keeping positive is so important

As the Earth is on the mend.

 

Thank you for your patience 

If you’ve read up to this point

And if you do the video

To lubricate each joint.

 

Thanks again for joining in with me

For being in my gang

Moving together in harmony

Bringing balance - the yin yang.

 

Keep it up until we meet

Whenever that may be

‘Til then stay safe and healthy

Happy and carefree.