Have you been paying attention to the news?

Then you’ll realise that this pandemic doesn’t choose

At first, they made masks mandatory

It was a nod back to recent restrictions

The current wave began at Bondi

Once it started, the outbreak went banzai

They tried to contain it as fast they could

Locking down four councils so people would think twice before they move

Lo and behold, those measures weren’t enough

The next day they announced that the whole city would have a trough

Downtown Sydney became a ghost town; people had gotten the message

There were only a few reasons to go out, they couldn’t take a carriage

From Sydney’s east the tide spread

Even as most of the metro did not tread

Stopping by at West Hoxton and Double Bay

Claiming a few schools along the way

They aimed to board a plane

Was held up for hours unable to eclipse the lane

One by one the borders to our state were closed

Dreams of a Kiwi bubble all but doused

Empathised with those who planned their trip

Now chasing those travel agents to recover the money dip

They went nuts for toilet paper, meat, and bread

Tried to fill their trolleys before the limits are spread

In line with government restrictions the repositories were closed

Empty stadiums no matches were contested

Businesses operating on takeaway only

Restaurants are near empty

The malls look like The Twilight Zone

All the goods, clothes, and shoes left alone

Hairdressers have been ordered to shut

Old and young unable to get their style cut

Trains are deserted, so are buses

Even the Churches had to cancel Masses

While the supermarkets are open

So are the chemists, and bread shops; must pre-heat that oven

Ditto banks and medical centres

Gotta serve those geezers

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This second wave came suddenly

We barely had time to eat ravioli

Lately, attention has shifted to Sydney’s southwest

This has become the country’s COVID epicentre, daunting test

Fairfield’s been ravaged

Cases soaring, so savage

On Friday, 100 police were deployed to the area

Making sure that the denizens follow the dicta

They came in their horsebacks

Going after renegades who weren’t wearing masks

The townsfolk had complied

Only eight humans disobeyed

They even used translators to get their message across

Otherwise, the note would’ve been lost at sayonara or adios

The erstwhile testing hub at the Showground was swamped

By golly, the queue stretched six, eight hours: the residents were sapped

In the kingdom of COVID nothing was spared

Neeta City, K-mart, Coles, ALDI were impaired

Even old Red Lea Chicken was caught in the cluster

Crikey! Sushi Hub did not escape the twister

Dentists and pharmacies next on the cliff

Fruits shops likewise had it tough

Fruit Mania and Fruitopia couldn’t bluff

An employee of another hospital

Came to Fairfield’s infirmary, making it go postal

Spare a thought for those waiting in the queue

They yearn for a rescue

Three hours and then told to return to their cave

Twenty-four-hour testing clinics now the rage

The suburb used to be a bustling hive of activity

Now just a shell of what it could be

Oldies bringing their trolleys, shops hawking their treats

Pork roll, pho, and pides are their preferred eats

Neeta City the centre of commerce

Fairfield Forum vibrant like summers

We don’t give these battlers enough credit

They’ve come from warzones; they know how to wing it

The suburb is one of Oz’s most ethnically diverse

Most locals have a second language to converse

In this time of lockdown, we must wonder

What is ‘essential’ and who should venture farther

The weather reports no longer matter

Looking out the messages are mixed

Do shoe stores count among the picks?

The advice is clear; we see what to do

The rules are delineated but what’s basic still confuses a few

New South Wales is practically shut for the month

Got to get those COVID numbers blunt

In the latest announcement, we now have a clearer picture

We strive to get the key figure

Closest to zero

In small steps, we try being a hero

Southwest residents now directed to stay put

Till we get ourselves outta this tough nut

As the saying goes, ‘Better late than never’

Must focus on this hurdle like a laser

Why Fairfield, guess we wouldn’t know

Just wish the tally would get low

Hope we can come out of this wiser

When the dust settles, tomorrow will be brighter