A shadow fell upon the earth,
A spectre none could name,
A creeping blight that stole our breath,
And left our world aflame.
Illness, death, the daily fare,
None escape its grasp,
The living cannot bury their own,
The world begins to gasp.
We sink beneath the weight of grief,
An end beyond control,
Dissension breeds as hope recedes,
Pandemics take their toll.
The end is near, the whispers say,
A bitter world in tears,
No respite found, no helping hand,
A future marred by fears.
Nations crumble, torn apart,
Each burdened with its own,
No neighbour lifts another's weight,
We each must bear our own.
Scientists seek a cure in vain,
Desperation in their eyes,
The healers of old run frenzied paths,
As darkness multiplies.
Aged and young alike in peril,
Who shall break these chains?
As unseen hands move through our midst,
A lesson in our pains.
What refuge can we seek, O world?
Where do we turn and hide?
We cower behind our shuttered doors,
While wrath moves swiftly outside.
And only He, whose hands create,
Can draw us back from dread,
Until His mercy stills this storm,
We wait and bow our heads.