Sequestrations (A Poem About COVID-19) By Abubakar D. Sani, Esq

Mankind had become a nation

Well, not quite, but

As close to one

As there ever was

If, by time you reckon –

That is, discounting wars

Of all kinds – economic, political and so on

Indeed, we thought we had seen it all

Given the passage of all of ten and three scores

Since the Last Great one – Hitler’s War

The war to end all wars, it was called

So, we lulled ourselves

Into a false sense of security –

After all, what hadn’t we seen?

Unknown to us, however, “we ain’t seen nothing yet”

For, lurking in the shadows, beyond physical reach

Was a foe deadlier than the mightiest army or terrorist,

And more challenging than an idealistic

Environmental activist –

A Greta Gurnberg or Greenpeace

An enemy as undiscriminating – nay, more

Than the fairest, blindest judge

For, this enemy knew neither creed nor race

As far it was concerned, all was fair game

As so it came, like a thief in the night

In a place hitherto known for enterprise

Wuhan, in the Chinese Province of Hubei

At the dawn of a twin-year: 2020

Whoever foretold it would have been – well, crazy

A guy called Nostradamus, in fact, did

A famous psychic, he foresaw all the Great wars

He said this plague would ravage the land of seven hills

And where else might that be, but Italy

This single-cell “weapon of mass destruction”

Had (and still has) all the world’s

Scientists scrambling for a cure

Covid-19 they called it, a novel Coronavirus

Who cares, as long as it is overcome

As, a rose by any other name . . .

Hang on, this is no rose – it’s not tame

Never in human history have such multitude

Been affected by something so little

At the last count, fully a quarter of us

Had been forced in-doors

Quarantine or self-isolation:

Whoever defied it was called a “Covidiot”

If in doubt, just ask a celebrity power couple in Lagos

They dared the law

Codified in the Regulations

Newly-minted to contain the virus

For them, the show must go on

Or so they thought

However, much to their chagrin

They were charged to court

Faced with a reality check

They quickly accepted the court’s sentence

At least two other guests at the party

Surrendered to the authorities

They were contrite and asked for clemency

It was duly considered

And they were let off with a slap on the wrist

Leaving some to wonder

Why the same deal

Was not cut with the organisers of the party

Now, the message was clear

The Government meant business:

All hands must be on deck

To stop the virus in its tracks

Anything else would be a disaster

And yet, the pandemic

Does need to be put in perspective:

As, an overwhelming number of those infected

Do, in fact, survive – as much as 80 per cent

According to the Government

Big deal, you say – it doesn’t matter

What matters is a fool-proof barrier

Against the scourge of a demon

Which can strike in a second

Especially as some of its vectors are asymptomatic

Another ‘new’ word in our rapidly expanding vocabulary

Spurned by this disease:

It simply means the ability to spread it

While appearing to be healthy

Given the novelty of the virus,

It Is hardly surprising that

It has caused widespread panic and confusion

And, of course, fear – that mortal enemy of man

So much that it prompted an exodus –

A repatriation of foreigners – homeward-bound, of course

Which, while not exactly biblical

Was certainly disruptive and stressful

Economists and sociologists

Have tried to count the cost of the pandemic

But, surely, it is premature, isn’t it?

As the situation remains fluid and continues to shift

Nevertheless, it has not deterred some

From speculating that its eventual toll

Would be far worse

Than the last global recession

What to do? Easy, everyone knows . . .

Social distancing (another new phrase)

Wash your hands regularly with soap

Avoid touching your face

Wear a mask

But, which mask?

Home-made, surgical or N-95?

The experts are divided, so the masses are in the dark

Talking about Covidiots,

They are nothing compared to the tales spun

Of conspiracies

And other theories

Of world domination

Through mass elimination

Even the masks and medics

Offered as charity

Are rejected by skeptics

Who suspect a plot to use “us” as guineas-pigs

By that, they meant Africans

Africa – ever the cannon fodder

Dumping ground

Where rules are lax

Or non-existent

But not this time – we’ve learnt our lessons

Never mind if that is the biggest lie

As is the fact that our infection rates lag behind

Those of the rest of the world – bar none

In truth, those figures reflect the state of our infrastructure

Or lack of it – in the most critical sector of all: health

So, the admonition that “health is wealth”

Has been observed in the breach

Over the years – as our rich sick

Became medical tourists

In countries far afield

It’s so bad that large parts of the country:

The rural poor and the hoi polloi

Lack access to basic necessities:

Running water and electricity

Surely, you can only wash your hands

With soap or a sanitizer

If it is available

Or affordable

As for the dislocation

Caused by self-isolation

The Government’s supposed palliatives

Have been mirred in the usual controversies

‘Not good enough’; ‘Too little’

Or ‘shared to the favoured few’

In other words, it has been skewed

In line with our usual prebendalism

Noticeable amidst the din

Wrought by the disease

Is the deafening silence

Implying impotence

Of those who normally command attention:

Clergy – the supposed men of God

Whoever coined the phrase: “Missing in Action”

Must have had them in mind

For they are surely one of a kind

Seemingly having answers to every affliction

Not this time – Covid-19 has got them stumped

Including “the big guy” himself – Donald Trump

The “All-knowing, Invincible One”

Seldom has he been so stung

Not into silence, you understand

But into attacking an enemy that

Is neither Democrat

Nor Iran

Qassem Soleimani is a distant memory now

Trust Trump, however, after all

His other name is “Teflon Don”

(Is it? I thought that was Tony – Tony Blair)

Whatever – who cares?

In an election year

This is possibly his worst nightmare

And yet, there is no one to blame

Not the usual suspects:

Everyone, that is, except himself.

And so, the disease persists

With a fury

And a reach

Truly global and terrifying

In the Indian sub-continent and beyond

Working from home became the lot of millions

As only those deemed ‘essential’

Were given a Pass

At a loss

For a solution

In the face of mass failure

Of authority – or at least its symbols

Many turned

To a long-forgotten God

Surely, HE had to exist

Notwithstanding His invisibility

After all, so is the disease

And so,

In droves,

Many trooped to places of worship

Notwithstanding

– in some instances

The whips

Which those in authority

Deployed against them

For daring to challenge

The anti-congregation directive

How long will this last?

Is it too early to forecast?

Some say it depends on discovering a vaccine

Precisely when might that be?

Anything from 12-18 months

According to the most informed

Can the world afford to wait that long?

How much longer will we be in suspended animation?

Nothing has been spared; nothing is untouched

The Olympics – every sport, all recreation:

The Premier League, Wimbledon

Rugby League, Golf, Formula One

Even the elite have been hit hard

Abroad, the Prime Minister of Britain

And the Prince of Wales

At home, the President’s Chief of Staff

And the Governors of two States –

Bauchi and Kaduna

As for that of Oyo, Seyi Makinde

He appeared to be super-human

As, his recovery was like quicksilver

Still on Governor El-Rufai:

He confounded his enemies

By sharing a video

Of him singing with gusto

A song called “Rastaman Vibration”

He seemed to say: “Isolation? What Isolation!”

Thus demonstrating

That there is hope in adversity

Talking of which –

As a Muslim,

He deserves plaudits

For showing that Islam and music

Were not mutually-exclusive

As some, perhaps, would have us believe

In other words, that tolerance and inclusivity

Were about as potent in fighting

Prejudice and bigotry

As personal hygiene, social distancing

Self-isolation and quarantine

Are in tackling Covid-19

If there is one take-away, then,

From this scourge that has levelled men

It is (at the risk of presumptuousness)

That it is not a cliché

To say that the world is a global village

As, boundaries

Race and creed

Are meaningless before a disease

Which does not discriminate between –

Let alone, flee

From mere mortal beings

 Abubakar D. Sani, Esq.,08034533892, 11^th April, 2020

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