SCRIPT:

Newsreaders and figureheads all talking over each other converge on the word … “unprecedented”.

Slowly, all at once, our sense of normal disappeared.

And this unsettling, threatening, enemy we didn’t know we feared

Appeared. And suddenly society, and all the subtle structures

We’d constructed to rely on, turned to ghosts that couldn’t touch us.

And as much as the uncertainty unnerved us,

Every turn and twist,

and wordless list,

and person missed,

and nurse’s merciless shift disturbed us;

Numbers soared and hoarders hoarded,

cases creeping unrecorded,

People whispered… this will bring us closer… like the war did.

We took it in our stride, and tried to help each other cope.

And noticed this: our antidote to despair is... hope.

So we drowned out the dark cloud of dread, with our thunderous clapping.

And rainbows in windows remind us when rain shows, joy can happen.

We praised the unacknowledged heroes who we saw would save us.

And the horror films were wrong, ‘cause this apocalypse has made us

Into caring neighbours.

And then slowly, all at once, something funny happened.

I mean really, actually funny, you just have to tap and

Scroll to catch a whole incredible wealth of words and pictures

Put up to uplift us.

Open your news feed: between the news beats, you’ll see a ton of it.

‘Cause the thing about us Brits is, when life gives us sh*t we make fun of it.

Sharing memes doesn’t mean that we’re taking this tragedy lightly.

We make smiles to take back some control in these troubling times - and quite rightly.

And yes, we’re stressed, but you best bet

we’ll jest and joke ‘til we’re choking with chuckles.

Eccentric interests address the shared helplessness

better than biting our knuckles.

Humour’s part of our armour; exotic escapism strengthens our spirit

And bonds us together, all laughing with nobody near us to hear it.

And let’s attest, among the best of sentences to settle on

Is: settle in for a lot less guests, and better pop the kettle on.