Hospital ship 

a sailing cathedral that brings its crosses

and enormous floating decks of sick beds

beautiful impressive hopeful 

and quietly terrifying

cruise ships suddenly

no one wants or 

wants to be aboard

no port in this health storm

the talk the imagery is of hospital wards

I've spent too much time this year 

in the halls of our National Health Service

but I wasn’t to know

entertainment is replaced 

by the thirst for information

which in turn is replaced 

by a thirst for entertainment

anything that will blank out

the unfolding horror 

every day we sit down

turn on our televisions

and watch the Government update

Ministers seem to be getting younger

at least those that have avoided symptoms

and as the statistics pile up

into a metastatic mess of numerals

we begin to feel casualty-drunk

and unconfident that the Cabinet

is up to the task in hand

so many people are dying

that they are beginning to have names

attached to their passing

such as the comic Eddie Large

I didn't know he was Scottish

the way our accents are quietly dropped

Honor Blackman expires

age 94 of "natural causes" 

which is now double speak 

for non Covid-19 death

farewell Pussy Galore