Lock down, down under and everywhere

My last cycling trip down the road

Few middle aged men in lycra

Wave from the 1.5 m distance

Riding the opposite way

Their faces covered in masks

The headphones tightly in their ears

While they push on up the hill

Their faces red with the exhaustion

Wrinkled with worry

How their small businesses

And their families survive

COVID -19 pandemics time

The freeway is empty

even the fancy new petrol station

with fast food stores we are passing by

The loud music keeps few delivery trucks

Parked there awake

They work around the clock to keep

The Supplies in place.

The toilet paper fights are out of fashion

It is the rush to get your beer and wine

Safely in your fridge now

The fridges are out of the stock too

Pubs serve fast food now

Next is the suburb

We are riding through

The new built Houses look empty

Playgrounds are silent too

Still freshly painted  flashy posters

Invite you to live in this family paradise

And taste real community spirit

But all you see is worried young dad

In a mask pushing the pram

Through the door of his home

With a big Welcome sign

that he locks from inside

There a small group of elderly people

Queuing for their medication

They fear will not get

Malaria medication is out of stock

Doctors prescribed it to their family members

Few weeks back

It supposes to cure the virus we all want to forget

And get through

“I need my immunity supplements,” I hear the snippets

Of conversation; “I am sixty years old teacher,

We still have few kids at school

I have no choice, the principal said carry on

or retire, but I love teaching you know.”

“Is it worth carrying on?”

The other elderly lady asks her sadly:

“You know older you are, bigger chance to die from it.”

“I stopped drinking ‘Corona’ beer,” added another elderly man gingerly

“But you know what I am happy to wait here with you,

The first conversation with other human being I had in weeks.”

The pharmacy’s door opens and the lady invites them in:

“Don’t you stand in groups not even here,

You will pay the fine, the gathering of people more than two

Is not allowed.”

The cycling path is 3 m wide

we follow the new distance regulations

just right, they nod their heads

listening to the Sunday Prime Minister’s speech

after his emergency meeting in Canberra

There will be hard months ahead

spent in isolation working from home

if you lucky enough to still have job

that pays you otherwise you join the long line

in front of Centrelink to get your benefits

to survive

Squashed together these desperate Australians

Have no luxury to keep 1.5 m distance from each other

The need to eat and keep the roof under your head

Wins over the fear of the pandemics

Is someone in that line positive to the COVID-19?

How can they know? How can anyone know?

The Prime minister promised no landlord can evict you

In this difficult times.

The Prime minister promised there will be enough food

In supermarket for all Australians.

My old neighbour can afford only one weekly shopping day

It takes time for him to start the car and drive half an hour way

I promise to buy food supplies for him as well

“Don’t forget the toilet paper, pasta and beans.”

I promise I do the best, but none of those items are on the shelves.

‘Two items per person’ the leaflet pinned on them inform you.

“Your elderly neighbour he needs to come in the morning,

He should get what he needs to.” A kind cashier informs me.

I searched my house for the last toilet roll and few baked beans cans

Then I call my neighbour that I leave it in front of his door.

I know he is lonely but it is the only way.

My son set up the WhatsApp for him to hear all the government announcement

and I check up on him there daily just like on my elderly mother

She is  in Europe in her own self isolation

and sent me pictures of the first spring flowers

That bloom in front of her apartment.

She is allowed one hour walk daily and her own kind neighbour brings her own supplies.

“We do not have enough face masks and neither respirators in hospitals,”

She informs me and I nod it is the same everywhere around the world.

Then my 75 old mother sent me selfie in her own hand- made face mask with a little note:

“When times are hard we have to rely on ourselves

Without forgetting about others.”

I agreed: “Sure we do.”

It is the last Sunday of the March 2020

The weather is pleasant and sunny

Still warm in this quiet solitary Perth Autumn day

I park my bike back in the sheds

The sign on every door in our house inform you”

“Don’t forget to wash your hands.

So I do just that in the sink outside,

20 seconds thoroughly washing them with soap.

My friend working with the homeless calls me,

I disinfect my mobile before touching it again.

“I have exciting news from the Department of Communities,

our homeless will be accommodated in the Perth Hotels

this winter you know it makes sense the hospitals can not

take them in the time of this pandemics

and hotels are empty anyway happy to get little cash.

Apparently one hotel manager told us it is the most

rewarding time in hotel industry he ever have had.”

I know and she knows it would never happen

In normal times. Red tape becomes irrelevant.

There is message from my dear fellow teacher in Kenya

I was working along with in her village last year.

She is teaching students how to wash their hands to prevent

the pandemics but they have no clean affordable water.

I feel her desperation and suddenly feel very helpless.

We are so lucky here in our Western Australia

Even if we rarely realise it.

My Syrian student I was teaching English in Istanbul

calls me, his situation is even more tragic.

After trying desperately to reach Europe he is stuck

In the overcrowded refugee camp with no hope.

“Maybe it is better for us all  here if we die in pandemics,”

He tells me as a matter of fact.

“The problem will be solved for everyone then. Because

we are no human beings anymore, we just that, a problem.”

I would like to oppose him, but I would be lying so I say

Nothing and I know he appreciates it.

I put the ABC radio on the commentator informs me

we are one great Perth community and it is privilege

to serve us in the pandemic crisis.

I go back to ‘house cleaning’ sorting out what I can send off

By the next delivery van to the Perth’s homeless people.

Suddenly the radio inform me,

‘Welcome to the carbon reduced lifestyle,

Electricity demand has reduced,

transport's fossil fuel thirst has gone,

emissions have fallen,

the air is clearing,

and even the water has improved.’

I stop cleaning and look out through my window

the backyard is still dry from scorching heat of summer

the last fire burnt the bush not far

the biggest wild fires in history destroyed our Australia

I listen to silence of the nature breathing with relief

I hear birds chirping

I hear my trees rustling leaves waiting for rain

I sense hope

The governments are taking the science seriously

on the pandemic.

Maybe they learn to take the science seriously

on our environmental issues too

Perhaps it's helpful that each country's response

directly affect their own,

quickly-realised outcomes,

and with luck

the pandemic should all be over

in few month or year.

Alas climate change is not afforded any of these luxuries

yet I fear it will be more deadly than COVID-19 by far.

In the time of COVID-19

People have stopped wasting their time

and money travelling

when they can work from home

and meet on-line.

Maybe this reduced carbon lifestyle is something

that can stay with us long after

the virus crisis has passed.

Maybe just maybe…we learn something new

From this pandemic once it passes us by