COVID-19 – Who are you? by Adoyi Abah Ali (Poem)

Who are you? COVID 19 or the beast? What is your number? 19 or 1,9?
Are you number 666 too?
Who are you? Our pestilence?

Why have you invaded? To destroy or to teach? Will there be lessons?
How long are you here?
Maybe for a while, maybe for eternity.

Will you depart anytime soon?
Have you come to stay, change us?
Or your mission-destruction?
Why have you invaded?

You were once a story
Now our reality
You were once far away
now our game

Some have touched you
Some now with you
Some left with you
Who are you?

Your number comes with an omen
An owl of the night with many rules
Why should I stay away – two metres?
Your wickedness to our consternation

Who are you?
Our chagrin?
A dagger tearing our medical labs?
Who are you?
A satire of our time?

God or god messenger?
What is your mission?
Will you take us, spare us?
Will you block our vision, free us?

Who are you?
What’s your mission?
To take ‘okpehe’ from market women?
To leave us with bitter soup?

Oh no! The world no longer rotating
Darkness beclouds
The boys no longer chase the leathers
They have stopped singing ‘ rain-rain go away’

Oh no! The crickets no longer sing melodiously for the leafs yellow
Like the Egyptian plague, water-red
Who are you?

Oh no! No more viewing at the centre
No more shouting – It’s a goal!
John Cena fighting, no audience to applaud
Messi dribbling self, de Gea at empty net

Oh no! We are now masquerades
Masks now our love
Gloves our pride
A culture destroyer you are
Handshake in limbo

You have murdered Boko Haram, Isis
You have murdered HIV/Aids
You have murdered herdsmen, bandits crisis
Now to murder us?

Who are you?
When are you leaving?
Where are you going?
Will you ever return?

[Adoyi Abah Ali, on COVID-19.]