Editor's note: Ju Wanzhen, the author of the below poems, is a co-worker at a church in China's northeastern Liaoning Province. The poems were written when she worked as a volunteer for the pandemic in Dalian as a new cluster of positive COVID-19 cases broke out again in late July. She is a musical instrument teacher. When the pandemic struck back, her school leaders led them to work as volunteers at nucleic acid testing points in the severely stricken area since 25th July.
I.
Make me a brick for this era,
Take me to where I’m needed.
The inch-sized pulpit equipped us,
To be fully armored for fighting the virus.
Look at us the children of Christ,
Fighting on the frontline shedding our sweat!
II.
On the third day of Autumn in the year of the mouse,
We’re still on the frontline working for people’s health.
Being blessed and cherished with lots of love,
We accept the burden to take care of people’s lives.
III.
COVID tried to bully our seaside town,
And I armored myself to bring it down.
Be on guard to protect Dalian City,
Behind the gloomy clouds is the bright Sun.
We fight hard for the joy of our citizens,
Victory belongs to us who rely on Jesus.
IV.
The alarm sings early in the morning,
And in no time I scroll out of bed.
No ablutions as COVID is too bad,
To get ready I have my bags packed.
The many crowds are formed in ranks,
With five in a group for nucleic acid tests.
We instruct them to go home after the test,
To wait for good news and have a rest.
- Translated by Charlie Li
