Dank geht an Dr Simone von Wietersheim, Ärztin aus Namibia für dieses eindrucksvolle Gedicht geschrieben am 8. April 2020
TODAY I WANT TO CRY
We have seen a lot of jokes about the Coronavirus
We have heard a lot of ‘make the best out of the situation‘
Or ‘see the positive sides of the crisis, the new opportunities’
But today, I don’t want to swallow hard and see the good
I don’t want to force myself to think positive,
to stick a smile onto my face.
TODAY, I WANT TO CRY.
I want to cry for the man in his shack, that has lost his job
Who doesn’t know how to feed his family.
I want to cry for the owner of the small business around the corner
Who doesn’t know whether this pride of his will survive the crisis.
I want to cry for the kids that cannot go to school and are uncertain when they will again,
Those that cannot afford private education and virtual learning
And those kids, that dearly miss their friends, their family, their grandma’s hug.
I want to cry for the lodge owners that have to look at their empty lodges every day
And had to send home their dear and loyal staff.
I want to shed my tears for the builder and the gardener that are already retrenched,
For the cleaner that hopes and prays that she will still be paid by the end of the month
For the manager that only receives 50% of his pay and will need to sell his house
Which he just got for his little, growing family.
I want to cry for the grandmothers that are alone, and miss their family,
Their grandchildren’s noise.
My face is wet, and yet I want to cry, for travel agents, shop owners, hairdressers,
Tour guides, workers, all the people that suffer so much.
Not from illness, but from lockdown and travel bans.
I want to cry for our economy that is already shattered
and is now being swept down the drain
together with all the tears.
I want to cry for the farmer, who was so happy about some rain,
and is now facing another trouble.
I want to cry for all the poor, who have nothing to live from, who are hungry,
And who have to contemplate whether becoming a criminal will let them survive.
I want to cry for the little girls, for the women, who have to endure the physical pain
Of their husbands, uncles, stepfathers, that are home and bored.
I want to cry for the kids that used to get their only meal a day at a soup kitchen,
which is now closed.
Let me wipe away that fake smile, that forced positivity, and let me cry
Just once, just today.
Cry and cry and cry.
And then from tomorrow I will be smiling again. I will see the good things,
I will grab the opportunities.
Just today, please let me cry.