Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Oh how it has ruined our year,
No school, no sport, not even a beer.
It started back in China, six long months ago,
People thought nothing of it – it will surely come and go.
It didn’t take long for the virus to spread,
Lots of sick people on hospital beds.
But a man had enough of all the restrictions,
So he flew to Italy without a conviction.
It spread to each town as quick as a flash,
In a country that was already struggling with cash.
A country in lockdown, not heard of since the war,
The only things open – chemists and food stores.
When it came to Ireland, we knew what to do,
We locked down the country, through and through.
But it still managed to find a way to spread
And too many people ended up dead.
How it came into the world is still much of a mystery,
But one thing’s for sure, it will go down in history.
About the Author
Hello, I am Oisín Bergin (aged 12). I play a lot of sports including GAA and soccer. I also love cubing, reading and playing guitar. It has been tough not being able to do those things with my friends. I like writing poems because they are very relaxing to write and very satisfying to read at the end. I have entered a few story-writing competitions in school and I got highly commended 2 years in a row in the ‘Write a Book’ competition. My favourite author is Anthony Horowitz and my favourite books are the books from his ‘The Power of Five’ series. I like to include rhymes in my poems. I hope you like it!!
Editor's Note
Though this poem was submitted to Rhyme Rag many months ago, sadly it remains as current and topical as it ever was. I’m glad to be able to highlight the vices of young people who are among the groups most affected by the isolation and social restrictions of this pandemic, my heart goes out to all of you. I hope that writing and creative expression has been a help to some of you. Your words and experiences are maybe more important at this time than ever, and they are always important. Thank you, Oisín, for speaking out!