Lockdown Poetry Anthology

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King Edward VI School
Life during
Lockdown
Poetry Anthology
2020

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‘We were quarantined; we were anxious; we learned new
routines; we were resilient, we were strong…
We are King Edward VI School.’
This anthology was created to complement our Virtual Sports Day, which took
place on 15 July 2020. The task of writing a poem provided our wonderful
students with an opportunity to express themselves, to regain a sense of
community, and to feel connected during a period of separation.
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to…
- The PE Department for organising our school’s Virtual Sports Day and
enabling students to come together in this way. With special thanks to
Miss Ward for masterminding the whole operation.
- Mrs MacLachlan
- Miss Warner
- Mr Herbert
- Mrs Frost
- Mrs Fouracre-Smith
- Mrs Dunning
- Mr Last
- Miss Reynolds
- Miss Cochran
- Mrs Diamond
And finally to our fantastic students and their parents/carers who have worked
hard to ensure that the home can be a place to learn!
Contents:
Thank you Key Workers | pp. 3-8
Hope Poetry | pp. 9-21
Togetherness and Community | pp. 22-30

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For Those Who Care
Thank you for devotion to duty,
For all your loving care,
Healing lives at huge risk to their own,
How can we thank them for the warmth they’ve shown?
A big THANK YOU to Doctors, Nurses and more,
For making our lives safe like before,
My Mum is one of these a nurse no less,
So on behalf of me and everyone,
A big thank you to the NHS.
So we all come together,
And clap our hands,
To say thank you to the key workers,
Working hand in hand.
By Jacob Griffin (Year 6)

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Coronavirus Can’t
Thank you to our keyworkers,
Thank you to all those who have helped us through this challenging, time, to
those that stand proudly to those who quietly do their job, where would we be
without you?
Thank you to the inspirational teachers still supplying us with, an educational
experience, to the lifesaving NHS staff, keeping us safe, to the friendly
supermarket workers stocking our, shelves with food and drink for our health.
Thank you to the courageous police force for keeping us, Protected, to the
hard working transportation workers, Delivering essential goods to our shops
and homes, to the, carers caring for our loved ones.
Thank you to our community for making us laugh, for holding socially distanced
street parties, making us feel safe, looking out for us and coming together.
Coronavirus can’t break community.
Grace Beasley (Year 6)

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The Hands of the Helpers
My Aunt is in the NHS,
She always helps and cares,
She holds the hands of sick people in need,
She helps the people who fall to their knees.
She always risks her life for others.
Even though she’s got type 1 diabetes herself,
And during these terrible, bad times,
She still goes into work for other people’s health.
Working with a job like this is risky,
Especially during these times,
And when a soul is crying for help,
She is there all the time.
How could thanking the NHS be enough?
They save lives every day.
They help people with illness and injuries of every kind,
And guide the poorly their way.
My Aunt is in the NHS.
She is as brace as a fearless lion,
Each day has a traumatic experience.
But the rain disappears, and the rainbow appears,
And begins to cheer the NHS workers on.

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My Aunt and other nurses,
Need to wear PPE,
It is very hot and uncomfortable,
But it is for everyone’s safety
Each day has a scary experience,
But their courage carries on growing,
For them it’s like being in a rowing boat,
But they still have to carry on rowing.
That’s why I am grateful for the NHS.
I thank them dearly every day.
So, whenever you’re injured or ill,
The NHS is here to stay!
Grace Hindley (Year 6)

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Keyworkers
Thanks to all the keyworkers
Who help us every day,
At 8 o’clock on Thursday nights
We clapped and said ‘hooray’
You are working so hard
And doing your best
We are lucky to have you
Our countries’ finest
You all work non-stop
And never give up hope
And seeing all that you must see
I am not sure if I would cope.
So we’ll make our signs
To show we care
For all key workers everywhere
The nurses, doctors, drivers, soldiers,
Teachers, Police and all shop workers,
To brighten up this time of gloom
We’ll show support from every room
By putting rainbows on display
Shows our appreciation every day.
Brecken Walls (Year 6)

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Not all Heroes Wear Capes
The silent killer has charged our world,
School grounds deserted, now learning is online.
Supermarket staff working over time.
Hospitals bulging at the seams.
Staff wearing masks and PPE,
Protecting you and protecting me.
Can you hear the clapping, the sound of our applause?
The Thursdays’ that brought us together to thank you all.
Duty bound in these unpredictable times,
Keeping is safe but risking your lives.
Filling our windows with rainbows of hope.
Constantly cleaning our hands with soap.
Waving keyworkers off to work,
Eye to eye with the microscopic foe.
Not all heroes wear capes!
Kiara Moores (Year 6)

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Hope
A candle in the darkness,
Calm after the storm.
A rainbow arching upwards,
It really can transform.
Forlorn blackness
Becomes promising light.
The depths of despair
Have an end in sight.
Smiling on situations
Like sun on winter days.
Opening doors
In so many ways.
Getting us through,
It has; and it will
Giving us a future,
Something to fulfil.
So now we can look forward,
We can dream, we can aspire.
We can come together as a team
And aim for goals set higher.
It conquers the hard times,
The heartbreak and the tears.
It is the thing that sees us through.
Hope defeats our fears.
Elodie Barnard (Year 7)

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Never Give Up
When all is dark and there is no way out.
When you are just about to give up.
Hope.
Hope comes and lightens up the room.
It opens the door to success.
And just before hope has to go to spread her
Beautiful message to more people,
She whispers in your ear…
“Never give up.”
Grace Hamre (Year 7)

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I Hope
Desire whispers in my ear,
As I run and train and try again.
My goal is the light at the end of the tunnel.
I hope.
Faith is as constant as the rising of the sun,
My prayers say that spring comes soon,
And new life gives optimism.
I hope.
Belief in my body,
As my strength and life slowly returns.
But after the storm comes a rainbow.
I hope.
Hope beats along with my heart,
Like poppies following a battle.
The everlasting light will end this nightmare.
I hope.
Matilda Ainsworth (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope,
It’s what is keeping this country together,
Even when we are apart.
Hope,
Is what is keeping the NHS
From giving up.
Hope,
The feeling that we share,
On zoom or FaceTime.
Hope,
The feeling we are giving the earth,
On those Thursdays at 8pm.
Hope,
The feeling we all need right now,
Rosie Walters (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire
for a particular thing to happen
Don’t lose hope and you will score,
After every hour of darkness in life you need
Hope to survive
Hope is a word that keeps you alive
Hope gives you strength.
Henry Goldup (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope is the belief that
Things will get better
No matter how vast the storm
It prevails.
Hope is something that pulls us together
When we are apart.
Hope makes us stronger
In our battles and over hurdles.
Hope is the light
In the darkness.
Hope is something we hold onto
And never lose.
Hope is a chain which links us all together
Whatever our race,
Whatever our background,
Whatever our story.
We all have it
No matter our beliefs,
No matter our view of each other,
No matter our current circumstances.
Hope can change the darkest times
Into the funniest,
It can turn the most alone times
Into times where we are more connected than ever.
It changes the most divided people
close to each other
It drives us to believe in a better tomorrow
Chelsey Makhubu (Year 7)

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Hope
I always have hope when I look out the window,
I will never lose hope,
I always have hope when I think about my friends,
I will never ever lose hope.
I sometimes lose hope when it starts to rain,
I will always have hope,
I sometimes lose hope when I can’t go outside,
I will always have hope.
I will always have hope for the future,
I will never lose hope,
I will always hope for Covid-19 to end,
And nobody can get me down.
Rhys Whiting (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope is the feeling you get when you’re waiting
For something you want.
You wait and want then.
You’re waiting for longer and longer
Then you feel yourself get stronger.
Then you finally get what you want
After a really long wait.
Aidan Edrupt (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope is a feeling that you have in your heart when you desire to do well in
something or you want something to happen but you don’t know if it will.
Survival - Everyone hopes to survive this deadly virus and want all of his or her
friends to survive.
NHS – Put their lives at risk to save the people with coronavirus and to stop it
spreading.
Keeping fit – For sport that we would have done before lockdown happened
Getting out of lockdown – Everyone hopes for us to get out of lockdown and to
resume what we were doing before lockdown and socialise with friends.
People that are dying because of the deadly virus – They feel weak and they
hope that there body can keep fighting the challenge to survive.
Family – wanting to stay with them as much as possible because you never
know if they could pass away.
Government – Doing their best to advise people on what they’re allowed to do
and what they can’t do.
“There is hope, even when you brain tells you there isn’t”
Kiera Broad (Year 7)

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I Hope
I hope I can ride my bike this afternoon
And that I can hug my grandparents again…
That ‘Danger Mouse’ is on tonight
And that my family don’t get ill.
I hope when my heart hurts.
I hope I get 27 gazillion presents for my birthday
And that my dad doesn’t lose his job…
That I can watch cartoons all night long
And see my friends again one day.
I hope when my heart sings.
I hope I get Kylo Ren’s shuttle next week
And that school will start again soon…
That I can play ‘Doodle Jump’ on mums’ phone later
And find enough food for dinner tonight.
I hope when my heart burns.
I hope I become the most famous “baller” ever
That my teacher’s stop setting so much homework
And that there are jobs left for my generation.

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I hope when my heart smiles.
I hope I get to stay up past my bedtime
And, above all, that we learn from this…
That we remember what’s really important:
Fish fingers sandwiches with ketchup AND mayo!
I hope.
Hamish Campbell (Year 7)

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Hope
Hope is where you believe
That something is going to happen
Like when you get older you would like to be a footballer
you have to practise and practise till someone may scout you.
Zachary Cook (Year 7)

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The Brightest Light
The
Brightest
Light
Hope,
Dares to fight even in
The darkest night
Hope,
Tries to keep us from fright
Even when there is no light
Hope,
Feeds our minds with confidence and promise
Even when there seems like theres nothing
Logan Clifford-Kennedy (Year 7)

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Changes in Our Life
As I lay in my bed I enjoy the quiet of night,
I think about the day of what I could have done,
A walk around the neighbourhood,
A meeting with my friends but…
Daylight shines through. A day begins again,
Cars driving by taking people here and there,
A dog barking letting everyone know it’s there,
People walking and talking.
I hear the birds but here the rain is falling
I should be going to school but…
Keep my distance; watch who I meet.
This year is different; a year has been changed.
All helping each other, giving and receiving.
Pulling together for the good of the people,
Staying alert of the virus not seen
Community spirit there and to keep clean.
Tyler Goddard (Year 8)

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Community and togetherness
Time well spent with family via zoom.
Online learning in your pyjamas!
Grandmas cooking missed considerably.
Everyone missing family and friends.
The kitchen has never been so busy.
Home schooling with a new teacher.
Elderly family members not to be seen.
Really long queues at every shop.
Neighbours helping each other.
Every week clap for carers on the drive.
Silly haircuts for everyone!
Such an unprecedented time.
Joshua Mizen (Year 8)

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When Lockdown is over
When Lockdown is over,
When all is said and done,
I will go out dancing,
Dancing in the smiling Sun,
I will take my shoes off,
And feel the grass between my feet,
Under the Oak tree, wizened like a crone,
My friends and I will meet,
We will talk about the changes,
And things that we have seen,
Reassuring each other that things will get better,
Because there’s no more quarantine,
New-borns can meet their families,
Lovebirds can finally tie the knot,
Support groups can meet face to face,
Charities can continue their invaluable work from the place that they left off,
We will hug all of our neighbours,
And paint rainbows on every door,
For finally, after all of this time,
Life, once halted and frozen, can go on once more
Rachael Snelling (Year 8)

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Our New World
We've been through it all, thick and thin
We’ve heard of the people getting killed by the colour of their skin.
We've celebrated many birthdays in this
New world of ours and thought about fleeing
To the planet we call Mars.
It’s different here now, much different than before,
We no longer have our best friends knocking at our door.
Although there is one thing, one thing that has not changed
Something that doesn't need to be rearranged.
Togetherness and Community the thing that
Has shown a rise, the thing that we
Have shown more by opening our eyes.
Opening our eyes to a place called earth,
The place we live, the place
We’ll give birth. The place we’ll make more memories
Better ones than before and remember the time you never heard
A knock on your door.
Ryan Burgis (Year 8)

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Anonymous, Year 8

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Togetherness is…
Togetherness is calling your friends, whilst you can’t be there,
Togetherness is speaking to them, like nothing has happened.
Togetherness is being there for each other even though we are stuck inside,
Togetherness is speaking when you cannot be heard.
Togetherness is getting outside every Thursday to say thank you,
Togetherness is saying thank you to the people who we hardly know.
Because they are the ones that will make us be together again,
Because they will make this all end.
Togetherness is looking after each other,
Being there for each other,
And Protecting each other.
Togetherness is not giving up on each other,
Staying with each other when we cannot.
Sticking together throughout all this,
And never leaving each other behind.
Arthur Pettitt (Year 8)

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Togetherness
Together is a place
Where it’s wonderful
To be side by side
And here’s where
The entire family
Loves to reside
Kindness is given and received
With no guilt or demand
All are leaders here
There is no command
That’s why you need togetherness and community
Anonymous (Year 8)

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Waiting.
Even in the darkest of times,
we all stay as one community.
Until we wait for our unity.
Even though most of us are forced to be home,
we still want to be together.
Even if it takes forever.
Even though we can talk online,
I still feel very lonely.
Always waiting until we can meet again.
Anonymous (Year 8)

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Untitled
We went and sat out in the rain,
Just so we could see you again.
Cranked up the barbecue and put on our coats,
Talked about how dad can hit the high notes.
The weather was miserable but spirits were up,
Sat around the table and drank tea from a cup.
The dog razzed around and dug up the garden,
As we watched the sky starting to darken.
With kisses blown and hugs passed across,
We got in the car, coats damp like wet moss.
Hopefully soon we'll see you again,
But fingers-crossed not in the rain.
William Blackwell (Year 9)