Seeing It Through (Poetry)

It’s Nature’s human lottery —
see how the numbers roll
luck favours no locality
it’s out of our control

There’s no escaping if or when
the finger points at you
no use invoking God or Zen
no prayer will see us through

The plague is here — it’s all too clear
too few believed at first
but walked and talked and supped their beer
denying life’s been cursed

It’s true about the pestilence
we hear the death toll’s drum
the walls are down — there’s no defence
no cavalry will come

We cross ourselves to calm the fears
while night advances fast
and those surviving wartime years
declare the dark won’t last