Remember When

By Paul Sherwood

Remember when the shops were packed,
and you’d still arrive home with your nerves intact.
Remember when the pubs were rammed,
and in rush hour all the roads were jammed.
Remember when the headline news,
wasn’t filled with all these Covid blues.
Remember when we chatted about,
anything other than doom and doubt.
Remember when planning a week away,
wasn’t stressful enough to turn you grey.
Remember when visiting with family,
didn’t involve hand gel and PPE.
Remember when talking about big waves,
was just about the sea and not digging graves.
Remember when a graph with curves,
didn’t turn you into a bundle of nerves.
Remember when tiers were on a cake,
and only forests had a fire break.
Remember when a mask was rarely seen,
apart from this time of year at Halloween.
Remember nights spent carving pumpkins out,
with Trick or Treaters on walkabout.
Remember planning that firework display,
and hearing kids set them off day after day.
Remember when riding to work on a bus,
didn’t involve all this face covering fuss.
Remember when we took the NHS for granted,
and so many didn’t feel so disenchanted.
Remember when the first term of uni,
involved partying hard and pulling the odd moony.
Remember when it was OK at this time of year,
to resist getting festive with early Christmas cheer.
Remember when we’d have so much fun,
choosing a holiday for some winter sun.
Remember when we’d buy tickets for shows,
lighting the fire and hoping it snows.
Remember those nights getting wasted in pubs,
and dancing away in the local nightclubs.
Remember chatting with strangers and random hugs,
now we’re doing anything to avoid catching bugs.
Remember when life was as it used to be,
now it’s just a bit different for you and me.
A few restrictions here and there,
with some considerations to take more care.
Yet in the great grand scheme of things,
we are prepared for whatever this brings.
Rather than this being the winter of discontent,
with dismay at the thought of an adverse advent.
It’s just going to be different than it’s been before,
and still no deadly bombs in this silent war.
We can still talk and keep in touch,
and tell others that we love them very much.
We can still give gifts and send loved ones flowers,
stay up late at night on the phone for hours.
Remember when we used to put these things off,
and were less concerned if we developed a cough.
So now we can reframe this new found perspective,
and see the positive rather than what’s defective.
Whilst there’s a whole lot of pain with more to come,
there are plenty of reasons not to be so glum.
So as we ride the next bump on the Corona-coaster,
and it’s clear the situation is far from over.
Hunker down and wish upon that star,
and we’ll be just fine right where we are.
Soon we’ll be looking back upon this human blight,
remembering just how and when we won this fight.

I rekindled my love of wild swimming and photography last Summer, sharing my own reflections, sometimes light hearted, sometime serious, through my pictures and poems. I’m inspired by sunrise, the sea, nature, current affairs and whatever comes to mind. At the start of lockdown I started writing about the influence of Covid on our lives and the world around us, with the occasional satirical perspective.