Covid-19: 15 Poems from Children in 15 Countries

In the “Life” section of The Straits Times, a Singaporean English-language broadsheet newspaper, journalist Aditi Bharade curates a selection of poems written by children during the initial wave of COVID. The compilation, an initiative of Save the Children, features contributions from children in 15 countries, spanning ages 9 to 17. It offers a glimpse into their emotions, capturing “feelings of fear and loneliness but also optimism and solidarity” (Bharade).The poems’ speakers reflect on the abrupt disruption of their lives, as they are suddenly uprooted from schools and deprived of social interactions. The children and teens eloquently convey their experiences before and during the pandemic, sharing their dreams, hopes, and fears. Throughout the collection, their perspectives range from bitterness over the “worries” (Bharade) of the pandemic to realizations about the value of their community. These poems express their resolve to help defeat the virus, revealing their strength despite a sense of powerlessness. The collection is significant for how it documents the children’s struggle to grow while facing a global crisis.