Sharing this incredibly moving poem I heard yesterday reflecting the current Covid-19 pandemic. A very special poem, describing the reality behind the virus and painting a positive picture after the pandemic – hopefully it will be the rebirthing of us all!

The Great Realisation

by Tom Roberts

“Tell me the one about the virus again, then I’ll go to bed.”

“But my boy you’re growing weary, sleepy thoughts about your head.”

“Please, that one’s my favourite, I promise just once more.”

“Okay, snuggle down my boy, although I know you know full well
The story starts before then, in a world I once could dwell.
It was a world of waste and wonder, of poverty and plenty,
Back before we understood why hindsight’s 2020.
You see the people came up with companies, to trade across all lands
But they swelled and got much bigger than we ever could have planned
We’d always had our wants, but now, it got so quick
You could have anything you dreamed of in a day and with a click.
We noticed families had stopped talking. That’s not to say they never spoke
But the meaning must have melted and the work life balance broke
The childrens’ eyes grew squarer and every toddler had a phone
They filtered out the imperfections but amidst the noise they felt alone
And every day the skies grew thicker till you couldn’t see the stars
So we flew in planes to find them, while down below we filled our cars.
We drive around all day in circles, we’d forgotten how to run
We swapped the grass for tarmac, shrunk the parks till there were none.
We filled the sea with plastic our waste was never capped
Until each day you went fishing, you’d pull them out already wrapped.
And while we drank and smoked and gambled, our leaders taught us why
It’s best to not upset the lobbies, more convenient to die.
But then in 2020 the new virus came our way
The governments reacted and told us all to hide away
But while we all were hidden, amidst the fear and all the while
The people dusted off their instincts, they remembered how to smile
They started clapping to say thank you. And calling up their mums
And while the car keys gathered dust, they would look forward to their runs
And with the skies less full of voyages the earth began to breath
And the beaches bore new wildlife that scuttered off in to the seas
Some people started dancing, some were singing, some were baking
We’ve grown so used to bad news, but some good news was in the making
And so when we found the cure and were allowed to go outside
We all preferred the world we found to the one we left behind
Old habits became extinct and they made way for the new
And every simple act of kindness was given its due.”

“But why did it take a virus to bring the people back together?”

“Well sometimes you’ve got to get sick my boy before you start feeling better.
Now lie down and dream of tomorrow and all the things that we can do.
And who knows if you dream hard enough, maybe some of them will come true.
We now call it The Great Realisation. And yes, since then there have been many.
But that’s the story of how it started and why hindsight’s 2020.”