And For Those They Left Behind
To those we lost to Covid
These are our words to you
Although you cannot be here,
We are forever true
And of the ways you left us,
They should not be in vain
The promise that we make is,
These should not be again
You were once a Brylcreem boy
Your shiny hair slicked down
I think about you often
And feel your presence round
I hugged you for the last time
Then everything was changed,
No touch or words from you, now
My life is rearranged
You fought it for so long,
Till your strength it was all gone
Our children lost without you,
So for them I go on
“If you have flu, it is not flu”
I heard the expert say
I knew then what it really was
And it took you away
“Your Mum would be proud” the lady said
Trying to make me cry
“Why all this fuss!”, I pictured Mum
But with a twinkle in her eye
The care home staff just did not know
The ways to keep you safe
So few were they, they had no help
We’re left now with this grief
It was you said, your Lottery win
Told “No more shielding for you”
But Covid took you off from me
I can no longer hold you
But I recall on our last cruise
The way you dressed, your smile
Although we’re separated now
I’ll see you again, in a while
I once had thought to understand
The true depth of such grief
But now I know I did not then,
And find little relief
Together we supported your
Beloved football team
And in your name I support them still
With you still there, I dream
The first year was just as tough,
As I knew it would be
The second year confirmed this now,
My new reality
My brother, you survived the stroke
That kept you locked within
Denied the jab against Covid
That fight you could not win
Dear Uncle I recall your voice
Your singing and your smile too
Down’s Syndrome may have walked with you
But it did not define you
Two young men each sought advice
From Assessment hubs so dismal
That Covid virus took their lives
Their triage was abysmal
An elderly husband was discharged
With Covid, to his wife
Who sadly then caught Covid too
And they each lost their life
This month was once my favourite,
’til it took you from me
But now I do not love it,
It will not leave me be
You always were the main one,
That I depended on
Since Covid took you from me,
My safety net is gone
Her very handsome husband
Had made her future bright
Since Covid took him from her
Some days are dark as night
My friends ask me “How are you?”,
But they don’t want the truth
Some now no longer know me,
Though I’ve known them since our youth
They took you into hospital
“To make you well”, they said
But in there you caught Covid
Which took your life, instead
The legal team supporting us
We instruct to enlarge
On questions that just must be put
To those who were in charge
And of the ways you left us,
They WILL NOT be in vain
The promise that we make is,
These WILL NOT be again!
For those we lost to Covid.
Credit: Alan Wightman, Scottish Covid Bereaved
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