GEM’S NECKLACE FROM FREEN

After many years, I finally have an image of the necklace that is central to the story in my science-fiction fantasy book FREEN, The First Truth

It took a lot of persuasion and chocolate to convince my eldest daughter Red that she is good enough to draw it – and here it is, absolutely beautiful and exactly how I imagined it.

The necklace is worn by Gem in my story and, as she discovers that she is not the only one with the same necklace at her boarding school, the strange stories behind these necklaces suddenly starts to make sense, in an Earth-shattering way.

COVID19 POEMS

These are the poems I have written during the Corona virus pandemic; chronicling and commenting on the news stories and social impact of this dystopian period. There will be nineteen – if I don’t loose the will.

Do feel free to copy and share, so long as you include the copyright notice at the end of each poem.

COVID-1

Dystopian days and inebriate nights

A pause in plausible thought

And fixation secured on essentiality

Education becomes academic

Are red peppers better than green?

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-2

Is collateral damage

A merrily summed average

Of the ones who survived

Getting sick, but imbibed

Deathly-sized doses of vodka

And news?

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-3

The humble loo roll

Got a shiny new role

As an emblem of greed

For those who succeeded

To procure one or two

Dozen packs for their loo.

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-6

Stick ‘em in quick!

Don’t tell ‘em they’re sick

They’re senile, demented

Their life-span near-ended

War heroes, mothers and lovers and wives

Ex-nurses and bakers and people whose lives

Were fulsome and vital and just like ours now

But they’re broken, forgetful – worthless somehow

So, stick ‘em in quickly

The infectious and sickly

Our care homes have beds

Callous ministers said.

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-7

You can’t touch his balls

And he can’t touch yours

Though to kick them is perfectly fine

But avoid ball confusion

Preserve your seclusion

By staining your balls in some way

You can handle your own, though

Oh, please do not groan

‘Cos that’s how you play tennis today

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-9

So, The Trump’s got a new prophylactic

Well, isn’t that an interesting tactic?

He’s moved on from preaching

The merits of bleaching

To a drug that is in common use

But, whether it works

Is sending Twitter berserk

His dissenters are shouting

‘He’ll keel over while touting’

This drug for its off-label use

And who else is quaffing

To save them from coughing

Is it true, are there lies

Will The Donald survive

This drug and its contentious use?

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

COVID-11

If the figures run through

And it turns out to be true

That it kills like a flu

What will we do?

When next flu season’s here

Will we lockdown in fear

Year on year, after year

Can we shut down our lives

Will our businesses survive?

Will our mental health?

Decline with our wealth?

As the pockets of wealthy

Whose assets stay healthy

Will splash their reserves

On the final preserves

Of the small that have fallen.

Copyright © Diny van Kleeff 2020

Images from Unsplash: 
COVID-9 Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
COVID-6 Photo by Gert Stockmans on Unsplash
COVID-11 Photo by Bryan Angelo on Unsplash

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