A MOTHER has taken to poetry to give a glimpse of life in home isolation Britain, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Gemma Peacock penned the verse, The Rainbow Children, to remind her sons that the days of social distancing will become a thing of the past.
It met with a warm response among social media users, quickly attracting more than 2,000 shares and favourable comment, on Facebook.
Despite being a ‘key worker’, in her role as a regional facilities manager based with the BBC, for Interserve, she is working from her home in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, during the crisis.
But she is also home schooling her boys, Kaleb, 13, and seven-year-old Sonny.
“I wrote this poem as I don’t want these children to feel like the lost generation, the kids who missed out on schooling and were at a disadvantage.
“Life will be hard for a lot of these children and their families, but they’ll also be the children who had time to think, time to heal and time to dream. They’ll be the ‘rainbow children’.”
She added that she was “overwhelmed” at the social, media response.
The Rainbow Children
The history books will talk of now,
That time the world stood still.
When every family stayed at home,
Waved out from windowsills-
At those they loved but could not hold,
Because they loved them so.
Yet, whilst they did they noticed all the flowers start to grow.
The sun came out, they can recall,
And windows, rainbows filled.
They kicked a football in their yards,
Until the night drew in.
They walked each day but not too close, that time the world stood still.
When people walked straight down the roads, that once the cars did fill.
They saw that people became ill,
They knew the world was scared.
But whilst the world stood still they saw, how much the whole world cared.
They clapped on Thursdays from their doors, they cheered for the brave.
For people who would risk their lives,
So others could be saved.
The schools closed down, they missed their friends, they missed their teachers so.
Their Mam’s and Dad’s helped with their work, they helped their minds to grow.
The parents used to worry that,
As schools were put on hold,
Their children wouldn’t have the tools,
They’d need as they grew old.
But history books will talk of them,
Now adults, fully grown.
Those little boys and girls back then,
The ones who stayed at home.
They’ll tell you that they fixed this world, of all they would fulfil.
The RAINBOW children building dreams,
They’d dreamed whilst time stood still.
By Gemma Peacock.
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