Joanne Joseph is in year 7 at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and as part of a recent creative writing assignment, she turned her mind to the current COVID-19 situation.
The Hillside resident wrote a poem to the tune of the famous Don McLean song “American Pie“, summing up what this crazy year has been like for so many.
She said creating a new version of one of her favourite songs was part of the appeal when she started the project.
“American Pie by Don Mclean is one of my favourite songs and a super hit worldwide,” she said.
“I choose that as a title as my whole poem was about saying goodbye to COVID-19 and was a good metaphor.
“I knew that by using Bye, Bye Mr Covid-19 bye as the title there is an immediate connection from any reader to this famous song and [they] would be intrigued enough to read further.”
An avid reader, Joanne said exploring the events of the year and getting them down on paper was a big part of the fun in the project.
“Reading is a hobby of mine and I was always attracted to good smart and concise writing,” she said.
“The ideas were mostly based on personal experiences and everything that is happening around me.
“The harder part was the rhyming and it took lot of time and research to find words that would rhyme while conveying the message.”
Days now are on repeat.
A never-ending cycle that can drive a person mad.
Will we ever get our life back on beat?
Never experienced a period of time this bad.
Everyday it’s harder to get up, trying to remain disciplined.
News reports and articles broadcast despair, that our loved ones listen.
Little pleasures like sitting next to a friend in class or playing on the oval is lost.
It’s all zoom and breakout rooms now, which are free of cost.
Cameras and mics start to turn off and our world’s can be blacked out by a single touch.
This is what our world has gotten to, but hope is still in our clutch.
Video calls and messages have become the norm and everything is online.
Friendships are tested and we never understood how special our life was offline.
Laughter is muffled, friendly banter is missing. Smiles get lost behind the mask.
Canteens are closed, playgrounds are empty. New ideas are born but never put to task.
So Bye Bye Mr COVID-19 Bye, you may seem to win this battle,
But a nation like Australia will always take the title.
Irritable behaviour and angst towards others,
Rebellions striking and people under covers.
Enthusiasm and initiative slowly fades away.
Just as this year is bringing us to dismay.
If we don’t keep order and discipline longer,
COVID-19 will slowly conquer.
Boredom creeps in like a plague, Life is a slumber,
But we remind ourselves, that we just need to hold on a bit longer.
Be strong now because things will get better.
It may be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever.
There is light at the end of the tunnel,
As we start to curve the infections funnel.
So Bye Bye Mr COVID-19 Bye, you may seem to win this battle,
But a nation like Australia will always take the title.
Money is scarce and jobs are rare
Leaving so many households in utter despair
We mourn for our dead, We care for our sick
We are all fighting together, the liberals, the labors, the believers and the sceptics.
AFL is alone, NRL is lonely, the cricket stands are empty
Now our favourite score is the countdown of infections from 800 to twenty
The snow beckons, the penguins waiting, sunlit beaches are bare
Life is full of care with lots of time but no loved ones to mingle with and share
Parks are vacant, silent are the clubs,
Roads are for exercise and walking with families and their pups
Lockdowns and fines are the new norm
Curfew showed us to continue the fight being at home from dusk to dawn
So Bye Bye Mr COVID-19 Bye , you may seem to win this battle,
But a nation like Australia will always take the title.
People are anxious and await a miracle
We disobey the officials on matters that are impermissible
We all share one goal, for Mr COVID to finally stall,
Soon this virus will fall, our heroes will surely save us all.
This year showed us who the true superheroes really are
Our leaders, police, doctors, nurses, carers and teachers who fight for us from near and far
Showing us the path through selfless care and unwavering determination
the values of family, love, faith and trust in every home of our great nation
As a country we stand united in this fight
Our COVID warriors will lead us to that light
Regardless of our race, religion, creed or gender
Together Mr COVID we will eradicate you from Down Under
Courage, resilience, endurance and mateship form our backbone
No wonder the kangaroos and the emus with no backward step call Australia their only home
Nowhere in the world will you come across an adversary with such indomitable grit
Try as you might you will never break the Australian spirit
So Bye Bye Mr COVID-19 Bye,
You have been a pest in 2020 and that is not a lie.
You are an unwelcome guest and exterminating you is our only target.
For this is a passage of time in our history that we will never forget.
So Bye Bye Mr COVID-19 Bye , you may seem to win this battle,
But a nation like Australia will always take the title.
