County Clare 2020: A Day in
My Life
Creative Writing Competition for children and teenagers
Shortlisted 7 to 9 category
Clare 2020, A Day in My Life
by Lauren Fox
Covid-19 has brought trouble & strife.
My story begins at the present time,
May 2020, when I am just nine.
My normal routine was easy and fun.
My days filled with learning & life in the sun,
But all that has changed as this disease came to town,
Bringing sickness and worry, turning a smile to a frown.
I can’t see my Granny, except through a lens,
And the same rules apply when I talk to my friends.
My mother’s replaced my teacher at school
But my sister and I think it’s rather cool!
My parents worry that this will not end,
Social distance, cocooning and the death toll trend.
No trips to the beach, no more cycling too far,
No playgrounds open and a 2K limit by car,
With people sneezing in elbows, standing 2 metres away.
What will happen next in the month of May?
As we wait on an update for Granny’s cocooning,
“Close that fridge” my Mum shouts, as Daddy’s Ballooning!
The news from abroad is equally sad,
The death toll is rising, Donald Trump is gone mad!
He’s talking of injecting people with bleach!
And charging China for the Covid breach.
My life was so simple a few months ago,
I got up, got dressed and off to Ballyea school I’d go.
Now I have to think about all that I do,
I hold back from shaking hands and hugs & kisses too.
How I wish I could return to a normal school day,
Meeting friends in the playground, hide and seek to play.
Birthday parties, playdates & shopping in Ennis town,
All the things I took for granted, now just get me down,
But growing up in Co. Clare, I’ve heard the “Banner Roar”,
And so I know we will bounce back as we’ve done before,
Our people and our landscape, our Cliffs standing proud,
Our heritage and our culture, our traditional music playing loud,
Our County will return to glory & our towns will welcome you,
Ennis, Kilrush, Ennistymon, Shannon and even Killaloe,
I know we will get through this, I know it won’t be easy,
We might lose some of those we love, and that still makes me queasy!
I pray to my Grandas in heaven at night,
To make it all end, to make it all right.
With restrictions lifting and a plan in place,
Vradkar and Holohon setting the pace.
As the world reopens we will all hold our breath,
Will people get sick again, will there be more death?
For me I look forward to the 20th of May,
The chance to celebrate my Happy Birthday.
So my story ends here, on a positive note
With hope and optimism we will all stay afloat.
When we look to the future, happier times to be seen,
As we wake from the nightmare of Covid-19.
Clare 2020; the Year our County stood still,
And emerged even stronger with love and goodwill.
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