Children's rainbow pictures in windows

Thursday evening national applause fests

with saucepan percussion accompaniment

guards of honour for those discharged

from Intensive Care Units

joyous scenes of a joyful population

the best of us in the worst of times

acts of kindness 

of selflessness

sacrifice and courage

the rubbed-out outline of community 

becoming visible once again 

through the paper-thin official effort

the erasers in temporary abeyance

frightened by the zoo tiger

rattling its cage bars

let’s be tigers once again

and as for so-called “protection” 

for our care and health workers

some will be wearing bin bags tonight

if they’re lucky

our “defence” budget is £40 billion

tell me just who’s the enemy?