Coronaverse

The Times diary TLS was asking for coronaverses, rejigging famous poems for the current circumstances. Mine was too long to use, but I got a lovely email back from someone at The Times. It is based on Ozymandias by Shelley:

I met a jogger on a lonely run,
Who said— while two metres from me – “people
stroll in the local parks… Near them, in the sun,
Half asleep a couple lies, whose love,
And lack of care, and sneer of selfishness,
Tell of their heedless concern for the rules.
They may yet survive, but might cause lifeless others,
They mock the hands that help them, these fools
And in the history books, these words could appear:
‘My name is not important, my words more so;
Look on society and despair!’
Only lessons remain. Stop the decay
Protect the NHS, care for its kin
Or the future will rue our today.”