Anthony Watts has been writing ‘seriously’ for about 40 years.  He has won prizes in poetry competitions and has had poems published in many magazines and anthologies.  His latest collection is Stiles (Paekakariki Press).  His main interests are poetry, music, walking and binge thinking – activities which he finds can be happily combined.

Poem completed - 17^th April 2020

Talkin’ Covid-19 Blues

I gave my woman a hug and a kiss.

She sprayed me with Dettol and called the police.

Turns out she’d been watching that BBC News

and that’s what’s got me singing the blues.

Now, when we talk, I gotta give her a ring

cos she’s doing that social distancing thing.

Ain’t never too late to self-isolate

cos there’s nothing so mean as that COVID-19.

I went to the store and joined a queue

hoping to buy some rolls for the loo.

I asked a ‘colleague’ (that’s a member of staff).

He said, ‘Man, you must be having a laugh’.

When I went to the checkout, the girl at the till

said, ‘You’ll just have to use the back of your bill.’

Ain’t never too late to self-isolate

cos there’s nothing so mean as that COVID-19.

I was sat in the garden reading Chaucer

when out of the sky comes a flying saucer.

An alien got out, just like in a dream.

Then he saw my mask and he started to scream.

He got back inside and away he flew

all the way back to Aldebaroo.

Ain’t never too late to self-isolate