Sieh Mei Ling

Almost the whole world close to standing still
Exactly three weeks we’ve been kept in,
From skepticism to wonderment
From asking to confusing information
From once reliable BBC to lesser social media
My eyes and ears tried keeping alert,
Mask or not to mask face?
Stock up or not labelled a hoarder
Of toilet rolls, canned food, vitamins and more?
Alas life supporting daily doses a must
So are fruits and vegetables to add to rice and noodles,
Vital to keep a full tank and money from the bank
To find no where to go and nothing to buy,
After the scrambling of mind and feet
As we sat home to wait
For time to pass and days a counting..
Thank God for daily morning quiet meditation
By His word, prayers and songs of devotion,
Punctuated by videod messages of Sunday home services
Painfully crafted by our spiritual shepherd.
Daily workouts unenthusiastically done on our rickety
bike accorded the only muscle stretch,
besides our mental exercise
From the store of books and inexhaustible resources online.
Thank God for generosity never before that feasted the eyes
Of Bolshoi ballet and western concert halls galore,
But business continued to carry on with court proceedings online,
Hence hours on the phone with lawyers, contractors and professionals.
Without a prompt it was also time to offer help
To our tenants and those stuck without cash.
Meals became simple and frugality became more than real.
Still we felt entrapped, psychologically perhaps physically for sure.
But our souls remained in tact, as in gratitude our spirit connected to
The merciful Lord, our light and salvation
Whom shall we fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of our lives
Of whom shall we be afraid?