If you feel it’s your time to go out for a walk

Why not stroll down a Brookes Street block?

Join us evenings at seventy thirty to hear our mellow beat

The section we reside on is between Laurier and Edna Street

There you will see the neighbours perform for you

A tribute to the frontline workers, that’s what we do

It all started with Bonnie and Tim ringing their bell

Meredith will be clanging his chimes as well

Then there is Margaret, Cindy, Jennifer and Jack

You will hear them all giving their metal pots a good whack

Denise and Chris have the bongos that they try to play

Then there is Dave and his pie plate raising the roof in his own way

Gaze down the corner and you will see Ava, the youngest of our crew

She’s been there from the start and knows just what to do

She joins us each each night when it’s time to do our tune

She beats a pot as well with her wooden spoon

Sometimes Melinda, Mary and Orville will come around

If you hear a car horn, Shelley, Beth and Erica have joined in the sound

These are the members of our special group

Performing in our yards or on our front stoop

You are welcome to join if you come down our way

You know the time, we are out everyday

You will have to be punctual if you care to join in

When you hear that ONR whistle, that’s our cue to begin

Our presentation each night will vary in length

We just basically bang out the noise till we all lose our strength

We may talk for a while when our recital is done

We get to honour these workers and still have some fun

We’ve been doing this each night no matter what kind of weather

While practicing social distance, somehow we have become closer together

Social distancing and isolation is now the new norm

Most people have adopted this while others just won’t conform

Some people ignore all the warnings and pretend that there is nothing wrong

Thank goodness the majority proceed with caution and choose to go along

Days to weeks, now months and still we don’t have the “all clear”

If we don’t get all our ducks in a row, it could stretch into a year

I think of all the lives that this virus has now taken

Yet there is so many in denial, how could they be mistaken?

You just have to turn on the news or surf the net and you get the whole story

But you still have the Alfred E Neuman’s of the world saying “What, me worry?”

I don’t know what they are thinking when they are out trying to greet

Especially when the person they approach quickly crosses the street

Still you walk around the city and still see groups here and there

They must know what the consequences could be? Are they that unaware?

The town is pretty deserted as they walk about

Almost every store is closed, haven’t they figured this one out?

Maybe my use of sarcasm is a little extreme

When I witness these events, it makes me want to scream

The only way we can beat this virus is to give it our best shot

It’s time to work as a team, whether you believe it or not

Drastic measures have to be taken and we have to stay the course

Those who choose not to comply, the law will have to enforce

It’s time to get a handle on it and make a stake

We owe it all to our essential workers, they certainly could use the break

If we don’t collectively get our asses in gear soon, our hospital workers will crash and burn

They are all putting their lives on the line, it should be our main concern

People losing their jobs, businesses folding and deaths are increasing everyday

We all have to get on board with this cause, there is no time for delay

The sooner we implement this, the sooner we should recover

This is the best plan to choose in order to help one another

This will shorten our sentence if we take this endeavor

There’s no time for second thoughts, it’s now or never

This means of course that we will continue to stay inside

It’s a commitment you have taken, let’s take it in stride

Leave the rest to the authorities and let them do what they can

Fine or arrest people that decide that they won’t stick to the plan

This should reduce our exile and help to extinguish the threat

We might now have our freedom if we had done this on the pandemic’s onset

When we finally get the green light and are able to roam

Most won’t venture too far and choose to stick close to home

So much has been affected by this scourge that’s infected our earth

I hope we can recover from it all and have a rebirth

I know there will be some people that won’t agree with all the words that I have said

But I think we are all in  unison when I state “We have a tough road ahead”

No playoff races to watch in the NHL

The NBA suspense is done as well

No pitcher has thrown a single ball

In fact there is no sports to watch at all

There is only one standings that continues out there

It’s the Corona Virus that we all have to share

The statistics are on display for you to discover

Showing  the cases, the deaths, and those who recover

It’s a grim reminder of how just how far this virus has spread

It’s hard to believe how many people ignore this instead

We all know that Trump was in denial right from the start

I wonder what he must think when he gazes at that chart

Thanks to him, his Americans are in the number one spot

This infection hasn’t just disappeared as he had first thought

Let him take in all the accolades, the glory and fame

Thanks to his ineptness he is on top in this game

His first reaction was that it was a hoax started by his opposition

Blaming everyone else for the reason that he is in this position

He’s doing his backtracking more often these days

As per usual, you can’t believe anything that he says

As each day progresses the situation becomes more worse

He is unable to escape to his exclusive golf course

What was once a short fuse is now even shorter

He’s having temper tantrums right in front of the reporters

Still in his head he believes his actions are perfect in every way

He has never taken any responsibility for what was a long delay

You fact check all his statements and you see they are more lies

You call him up on all these facts but he continues to deny

So all his colleagues sit back and let this fiasco proceed

Being the ruler of the empire, I guess that’s what he’s decreed

Who knows how long we have to remain shut ins on this planet

If there is one lesson I’ve learned, it’s not to take anything for granted

Throughout this long shutdown, I’ve gained some perspective

This as a result has made me more reflective

I realize now that the fact that there is no sports on tv hasn’t bothered me that much

I miss my children and grandchildren’s presence and I miss their touch

I don’t care who wins this year’s championship or who wins the next game

When this pandemic finally gets resolved, things definitely won’t be the same

I think what everyone will soon discover

That these sports empires will be slow to recover

I don’t think people will be rushing in to fill that sports seat

It will be weeks before we feel safe enough to meet

With the loss of so many jobs and the small businesses that will fold

I think most people will put their extra curriculars on hold

It will take some time for everyone to feel they are in the clear

I think most of the major sports might be done for the year

Baseball is already in trouble and football could be a toss

Will the owners proceed and risk taking a loss?

I know they will do their research and analyze it to hell

They won’t proceed until they know their tickets will sell

Real decisions in the world literally mean life and death

As far as sports leagues proceeding, I won’t hold my breath

We have to get this COVID- 19 battle out of the way

It’s all that should be focused on each and every day

It’s time to get Trump reined in and hold him to task

Get someone out there to answer the questions the reporters ask

If he is incapable of handling this job, he should be forced to resign

There’s no time for his stupidity when there are human lives on the line

I’ve decided I’m not going to continue to count down the days

No one knows how long this pandemic is going to last anyways

Personally, I see no end in sight

I’m just praying to God that you stay alright

Sure, the prediction is that it won’t end soon

Even Trump has now had to change his old tune

His Easter celebration has been put on hold

With him in charge, who knows what could unfold?

I like the way Trudeau is handling this whole affair

It’s nice to see a leader that really cares

It’s nice to see that we have a leader with some class

Not like the Americans and their stupid ass

Justin seems to be handling the events and is doing well

While Donald’s conferences have all gone to hell

The man on top should look to his nation and know how to engage

Not stand on stage with his cronies and continue to enrage

Our leader takes questions and answers them, he’s calm and cool

Their’s, berates most of the press core and looks like a fool

Our leader speaks in two languages and is in total command

Their’s, only speaks in english and we still can’t understand

Our leader delivers the goods, and the facts he does share

Their’s seems to make everything up and seems so unaware

Our leader you can approach when there’s a problem to diffuse

Their’s, you have to tiptoe around so his ego won’t bruise

Our leader is treating the nation as a whole in this pandemic crisis

Their’s has decided to favour the Governors that treat him the nicest

This whole situation has been hard on us all

When will we see these death tolls begin to fall?

You need someone there to steer the ship

Someone who is truthful and shoots from the hip

You need someone at the helm to guide the way

Someone you can rely on each and everyday

A person you can look up to when everything seems to be lost

During this long voyage we have been bumped and tossed

You don’t want a Captain that encourages mutiny as its only course

You need someone who’s there when things seem to get worse

You don’t want a leader who continually puts himself ahead of the rest

You need someone with valour and who is up for the test

I’m sure both our nations will get through this turmoil all in good order

I’m just proud to say the seas will be much calmer north of the border

So what have you been doing in the past week?

How long before this Corona Virus reaches its peak?

Are you still sticking close to your home?

Or are you the rebel and just choose to roam?

I myself am heeding to this  proclaimed warning

Only walking the dog when I get up in the morning

The city is quiet and the traffic is light

Glance down the blocks and there is no one in sight

I do this task each and every day

I avoid what few people I meet on the way

Once I return home, that is where I choose to stay

I haven’t any urges that make me want to stray

Does anybody know how long this will endure?

No one anywhere has even come close to the cure

The businesses are closing and the economy is taking a dump

The future of North America is in the hands of Donald Trump

The death tolls are rising and big cities are shutting down

Then you have to listen to the stupidity of this pumpkin coloured clown

New York City is in dire straits with so many people infected

Then you see this President sitting there and he doesn’t seem to be affected

Every State in the union is trying to save the people out there

While this so called Commander In Chief doesn’t seem to care

“We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem” is what he tweeted Sunday night

He is more concerned about the economy than the Pandemic he has to fight

Once again his own welfare is what’s driving his need

If no one is working, how will he succeed?

There must be a lot of vacancies in these Trump properties that he owns

That’s why is trying to say this virus is being overblown

I would say if this continues, he stands to lose quite a bit

Something that he and his family will never admit

He wants the churches filled up at Easter for everyone

If all these cancellations continue, how long before his assets are done?

Bankruptcy is nothing new to him, he’s been there before                                   

With his new reputation, who would lend him some more?

I’m sure with each passing day, it keeps adding to the cost

Who knows how many of his millions will end up being lost

It will be months before we even begin to recover

Who knows how many things they will find or discover

In the meantime we will try to be patient and weather the storm

In hopes that we will eventually get back to our norm

The government has promised to help those most affected by this blight

I hope they honour their promise and most things turn out alright

So many small businesses will be lost as a result

But big companies will be bailed out, it’s such an insult

So many people affected by this disease

Yet the rich are still able to do what they please

I only hope at the end of it all

That Trump and his empire end up taking the fall

The result of him not caring about this potent germ

He runs out of cash before he finishes his term

Then they finally get into his books and he gets convicted

The rest of the family having no place to go because they are evicted

For the rest of us who are stretched to the max and have little money for spending

The only thing I have to offer you was this happy ending

I was going to start joking about all the things that are going on

The fact that this hockey season is all but gone

That as far as basketball goes, it is done as well

The fact that all the sports in general have all gone to hell

Then I thought seriously about it and changed my course

The events around us are transitioning from bad to worse

Everything around us is shutting down

This is not the time for me to play the clown

You can sit down and pretend that there is nothing wrong

Hope for the best and pray that it won’t last long

You can choose to accept it and take it all in stride

Who knows how long we will all be on this ride

Schools are closed and you can’t eat in

I don’t even know where I should begin

Wash your hands and don’t dare touch your face

Don’t infringe into anybody’s personal space

Heed the warnings and try to obey

This is what the “experts” say

I’ve been to a few stores and I have no doubt

People are getting prepared in case of a “breakout”

Don’t think of getting hand sanitizer because there in none around

Good luck trying to make your own because rubbing alcohol can’t be found

Toilet paper is in now in short supply

They have had to put a limit on it so all can buy

It’s terrible what is happening to people everywhere

Please try to think positive and not give into the despair

There is plenty of information for all of us to watch and read

Do all the research before you proceed

As for my wife and I, we have stocked up on supplies

I’m not thinking the worse, but who knows what could arise

It is still early and who knows what we have in store

So many people have died, who knows how many more?

We’ve decided to heed all the warnings and take the safe protocol

Following all their instructions should keep us safe overall

You look to the news and really it doesn’t sound good

So much of what’s happening is not fully understood

It’s spread all over the planet and still hasn’t reached its peak

No wonder so many people are beginning to freak

In Italy so many people have died from this strain

Three thousand so far and they still don’t have it contained

North America is now experiencing the tip of this blight

Three countries will have to work together to put up a fight

Yesterday they decided to close the border between Canada and the States

Only essential travel will be permitted to go through these gates

Some people believe the reaction to this has been too slow

How they continue? I don’t think they really know

The next few weeks will be a barometer for us all

Hopefully instead of that steady rise, the numbers will fall

Nobody knows how long this will last

It could be months before it’s a thing of the past

So when you finally decide to put up a fight

Look at all the facts and just do it right

Some people will ignore everything until their final breath

Then the coroner can write “stupidity” as their cause of death

To the dedicated few that chose to check in last week

Thank you for deciding to give my blog a peek

I’m sorry that I was unable to provide you with something to read

I will relate this experience to you and now I’ll proceed

This story begins oh so many years ago

You want an actual date and time? I don’t really know

This pertains to each individual’s dental care

That’s today’s topic that I have chosen to share

Dental plans when I was young, was something that was unknown

The first time that I saw a dentist, I had kids of my own

So you can understand how uptight and nervous I would be

When the first appointment for my two daughters was also first for me

In those days I was in my late twenties when my first examination was performed

I still see the same dentist regularly, I guess I was reformed

So over all those years, three cavities or possibly it is four

To consider when I started, I think that’s a pretty good score

Through all these years I had my wisdom teeth, and yes they were impacted

I’d go to see the specialist, he said “there’s no need for them to be extracted”

The reasoning for this I was told was because I had no pain at all

When they start to bother you, don’t hesitate to call

Over all the visits to my local dentist, I made three visits to this “specialist” guy

His answer was always “There not bothering you? I don’t even want to try”

So this is my saga that’s been going for more than thirty years now

Don’t worry about them, you have no pain anyhow

So recently my dentist refers me to a new surgeon that opened up in town

I went in for the consul and there he sat me down

He showed my all my x-rays and began to explain

That he advised to do this procedure even though there is no pain

He couldn’t believe I wasn’t experiencing any discomfort at all

He told me all the bad scenarios and told me it was still my call

The damage he said is extensive and showed the infection that was there

He proceeded in great detail for my wife and I to share

He initially wanted to do this the very next day

We decided to do it on Thursday, amounting to a three day delay

This way we were prepared and all our schedules were met

So when I came out of recovery, everything would be set

We arrived at the office for a seven fourty five date

We were well prepared, so we weren’t even close to late

I got through the operation and we were on our way

After picking up prescriptions, we were at home and called it a day

It was just a little before noon when we came through our door

I managed to get to the couch safely without stumbling to the floor

Of course I was still out to lunch for quite a while

I was told I was doing “Godfather” impressions when I tried to smile

Now today makes it a week and I’m still black and blue

Writing about this escapade is what I chose to do

Eating soft food and soups by the score

How could a man ask for anything more?

I am trying to be patient and let the healing proceed

Some days have been worse as I still strive to succeed

I’m feeling much better today and am actually hungry for homemade soup

Just one of the so limited options available in my new food group

So I will leave you now and continue on my way

I wish to apologize for my sixteen day delay

I know it’s been more than two weeks since I’ve been gone

Hopefully next week I can find a “shorter” topic that we both can “chew” on

I remember one particular “Hawks” game nearly two years ago

When their backup goalie got injured and what do you know?

An emergency goalie was inserted into the game

If you don’t remember, “Scott Foster” was his name

Although he  only faced seven shots, he stopped every one

After playing fourteen minutes in the “big league”, his night was done

All the years I’ve spent watching hockey, I never saw this before

Every save “Foster” made you could hear the crowd roar

Imagine how nervous he must have been

I figured I’d never see this happen again

Now it’s present day and it’s Saturday night

Being Canadian, I’m watching hockey, it’s only right

I’m sitting in front of the set watching the “Leafs” and the “Canes”

If you will allow me, I will take some time to explain

The starter “James Reimer” for “Carolina” was injured in the net

The backup replaced him and everything was set

During the second period, “Mrazek” raced far out of his net to move the puck

This time unfortunately, he ran out of luck

The “Toronto” forward ran into him at full speed

“Mrazek” tried to recover but he didn’t succeed

The “Emergency Goalie” protocol was now in place

“David Ayres” would be the man that would fill in the space

He looked pretty shaky right from the start

He eventually calmed down and played his part

In the second period he only managed to stop one shot out of three

Those were the only “Maple Leafs” goals that the home crowd would see

They never scored in the third period and the “Canes” won the game

“David Ayres” was the winning goalie and had his claim to fame

They ended up winning the game by a score of six to three

It was a game to be remembered we can all agree

The news of this event went viral and spread everywhere

The next thing you know, he is on “The Late Show” with “Stephen Colbert”

He must have dropped into New York when he was on his way

You see, on Tuesday in Raleigh the mayor declared it “David Ayres” day

Like “Scott Foster” before him, “Ayres ” is enjoying his day in the sun

Let them both enjoy the accolades and have some fun

Although this has happened twice in the past two years

I wish to say something and make it perfectly clear

The chances of this event happening anytime time soon

Are rarer than that saying “once in a blue moon”

Both goalies ended up being on the winning team

How much better could it be when you fulfill a dream?

Now if you were to ask me “Which goalie looked better”?

I would have to say “Scott Foster” because he was wearing the “Blackhawks” sweater

I got a message on my phone just the other day

Who was the sender? I am not at liberty to say

She asked me for a favour, you know, a request

I told I would think about it and wished her the best

Some guys will choose to do this without a second thought

I heard that they are hooked on it and do this a lot

I on the other hand have never been that way

Didn’t do it when I was younger, can’t see me doing it today

Of course when we were younger, it would have taken quite some time

I think with all the procedures involved it would be hard to stay out of the crime

It would be hard to cover all your tracks and still stay in the clear

Once the word got out on you, I think most of your friends would disappear

You would have had to really known somebody to get this task done

Someone who did it as a hobby just to have some fun

Back then I know of no one that dabbled in this art

The chances of someone like this was few and far apart

I’m not saying that it didn’t happen, I’m sure it really did

This was not something that you bragged about, it’s something that you hid

If the authorities heard about it, they would definitely bring you in

You couldn’t confide in your pastor, because the church considered it a sin

They’d probably would have told you not to do it and that things will just get worse

They’d would have tried sorts of things because to them it was a curse

You weren’t supposed to do this and now you had a black mark on your slate

Now there are scores of people who choose to do this and will participate

Usually two people share this act from the start

But in many instances, it can get blown apart

This item will be passed around the group if they so chose to share

Some will take some serious interest, while others will not care

It’s not because I’m older that I choose not to try this out

I am stuck in my ways and do not want to go down this route

I will not “expose” myself to what people do today

What do people do with a “dick pic” anyway?

The first thing that I have chosen to say

Is it cold enough out there for you today?

It’s early here but it sure is cold

All outdoor activities for me are all put on hold

This morning the temperature was minus thirty five

The old thermometer sure took a nose dive

Take the wind chill factor and then it’s minus fourty two

Staying here in the warmth seems like the only logical thing to do

School buses are not running so some kids will get to stay at home

They better make sure they are bundled up if they choose to roam

Funny how a day can be so bright and clear

But if you choose to brave the elements, it’s frostbite you have to fear

How many people are aggravated even more?

All because they didn’t plug in their car the night before

They will get everything ready and out the door they will depart

Only to be totally frustrated when their car doesn’t start

The next thing they require is some help in this case

A dilemma that almost every northerner here has to face

Booster cables are a necessity especially at this time of year

Now you are in need of someone’s help and hope they are near

Some people are more resourceful and already have a plan “B”

Let’s face it in this scenario it wouldn’t be you or me

The prepared person would have another battery and off he would go

The majority of us would be there freezing out in the snow

Neighbours, friends, hell, enemies will boost someone in need

It’s just common courtesy, it’s a solemn creed

When you are stuck in the cold and your car just doesn’t go

You’ll find some assistance from people you don’t know

So one way or another, you will not be alone

In case of a real emergency you can still use your cell phone

Chances of you being left abandoned are second to none

You will get aid from almost anyone

So many people have stories that they like to share

Involving friends and strangers that showed how they cared

Even in the coldest days of the winter, a warm hearts still beats within

Be it someone unknown, or your closest of kin

Someone who has a heart and helps you on your way

Seems so appropriate to remember seeing it’s Valentine’s day

I don’t know how many can really relate to the words I said above

Here’s hoping you are able to share this day with someone you love