You kicked in the middle of a global pandemic

And you kicked…
Just as the applause for the NHS workers began to rise
Pitter patters
Accompanying the fireworks in the sky
And you kicked
In the middle of a global pandemic
As sanctions crushed the earth which dreamt you into existence
As healthcare workers battled to save lives
& workers walked out factory gates, saying that life should come before company greed
And you kicked
As people were terrified
& others were buried & mourned from afar
Their souls softer than candlelight
And you kicked
As people rediscovered their community spirit
& felt once again
What it means to come together
To be a chorus
And you kicked
Like a rumbling volcano announcing the arrival
Of tiny comrades that will step forward
And patch up the earth as we know it
In the midst of all this
You kicked
And said
The rainforest may be quiet but it is growing
Let the night sky know I am nearly here
And that I am not afraid
-Rachael Boothroyd, journalist and activist, writing from London