When this illness turns to embers

And the death toll dims at last

Let us promise to remember 

What we all have come to pass

 

Let’s remember all the darkness

When we stand out in the sun

All the panic and the madness

When we thought it could have won

 

When from loneliness we shuddered

When our confidence collapsed 

Let’s remember we recovered

And the dread has now elapsed 

 

In the streets when passing strangers 

Let’s remember they were those

Who we fought to keep from danger

When we stayed inside our homes 

 

Let us never take for granted 

Our dear liberty to meet

Friends and colleagues at enchanted

Cafes, parks, and day retreats 

 

Let us relish simple freedoms

Nature’s breeze on cheeks and hair

Sunny rays on backs and bare arms

Strolls through gardens, crowds at fairs

 

When we go out for some coffee 

Read a book at bakeries 

When we dance, attending parties

Cherish every moment please

 

Let us thank our doctors, nurses

For their frontline bravery

Where the war was humans versus

An unseen feared enemy

 

Let us take this harsh pandemic 

And transform our selfish ways

So the future of our planet

Sees more selfless, joyous days

 

Viktoriya Neverov-Krstic 2020