A poem for my daugther in a time of global pandemic

No we can’t go to the zoo today Chickie Z, not the pool or the library either.

Because everything’s closed. That’s right, closed on holiday.

C is for closed, that’s right very good. C is also for Covid, community transmission, 

compromised immunity. But you don’t know that.

C is still for crayon, carrot and cat.

 

No you can’t see your cousins today my love, everyone’s staying at home.

We’ll all be at home for a while now. That’s right, we’re all staying in.

I is for in, that’s right, very good. I is also for infection, isolation and intensive care unit. 

But you don’t know that.

I is still for ice cream, incy wincy and ink.

 

No you can’t use the playground today sweet pea. I know that it’s only just there.

And we could go yesterday, and nothing else matters, when you’re on the swing with 

your feet in the air.

S is for swing, that’s right very good. S is also for sickness and spread and self-

isolation. But you don’t know that.

S is still for singing and shapes and sun.

 

I’m sorry my girl, we can’t go on the plane.  I know that you wanted to go.

To fly through the clouds, bunny clutched to your chest, to see Gammy and Guy Guy, 

two specks down below.

G is for grandparents, that’s right very good. It’s also for geographic distance, geriatric 

and guilt. But you don’t know that.

G is still for giraffe, games, and grass.

 

If mummy’s not always so patient my pet, it’s because she has things on her mind.

Like whether you’ll hug my parents again, if they’ll make it to the other side.

P is for patient, that’s right very good. P is also for personal protective equipment, panic 

buying, pandemic. But never mind that.

P is still for pencils, play doh and paint. Let’s just focus on that.