Social distance goes
on, and I’ve forgotten
how to hug people
Continue readingcoronavirus
Reflecting on a Year of the Pandemic Lifestyle
It’s a bit cliché to write a reflection on the pandemic year, but I’m going to do it anyway. It’s been a long year, and it’s also been surprising to me how I’ve gotten used to pandemic lockdowns. Like most people, I was very nervous in the beginning, especially because of my mental health concerns. And as 2020 dragged on and all the terrible things that happened, it hit me emotionally like everyone else. But the pandemic lifestyle hasn’t been all bad.
Continue readingShare this:
Before COVID (a 6-word story)
Family (a haiku)
Emerging (a poem)
traveling the dark tunnel
there’s no end up ahead
only pitch-black fear
innocent cries I hear
the virus has destroyed us
but in our weakness
we find strength
Continue readingShare this:
Wearing my Mask (a poem)
I don’t mind wearing a mask, do you?
It’s a symbol of safety, respect for others
our brothers + sisters living in this crazy world
boys + girls just wanting peace
something to eat
shelter from the storm
born in this age of COVID + conflict –
we rest in our bubbles, away from the troubles
I smile at you behind my mask
you see my eyes bright, hopeful
you know I love you.
(Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash)
Share this:
Book Review: The Plague by Albert Camus
I have a (slight) problem with going on book-buying binges. When I feel anxious, sometimes I buy a book. I’ve reined in this annoying tendency recently to cut expenses. But when the pandemic hit in early March, I saw an essay about Albert Camus’ novel, The Plague, and knew I immediately had to read it.
Continue readingShare this:
Keeping the Faith (a poem)
Garbage piles up on street corners, you can smell it
everywhere you go – a trash crisis, another effect
of the pandemic, giving the town an apocalyptic feel
as we deal with a failing economy, killer virus,
foreboding sense that we’re plunging into an abyss –
but excuse me, miss, we’re resilient, us humans,
even if rubbish surrounds us and the president astounds us,
we find a way to keep the faith.
(Photo by chris liu on Unsplash)
Share this:
Impending Doom (a poem)
Where do those neighbors get their money?
They’re up late on weeknights, drinking beer,
playing games in the street – the young woman
has glazed eyes, she’s always stoned;
the boyfriend doesn’t have a care
in the world, in a world
where so many are dying
and a feeling of impending doom
clutches us by the throat.
(Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash)
Share this:
Adjusting to the ‘New Normal’
Here we are, nearly four months into the pandemic. The whole thing has been a very strange experience, for all us. It’s been a shared experience across the planet, though some countries have managed it better than others. I’m learning that the ability to adapt is so important.
Continue reading