Covid-19 Poetry Contest

Life was normal.

Days were filled with school and work.

There wasn’t much time for anything else.

There was hardly time to breathe.

Until someone could not breathe.

At first, the world dismissed this as any other flu.

A virus that would simply go away.

This was nothing to worry about.

Then, it began to spread.

The world slowed down out of panic.

Everything came to a halt–

Our air became cleaner. Waters turned crystal clear.

People began to realize what is truly important.

We began to realize the importance of our health care workers,

Grocery store clerks, sanitation workers.

Essential workers we’d forgotten.

We lost many lives to Covid-19, people we will never forget.

 but we gained a new perspective when

nothing else mattered except keeping people safe:

 Gratitude.

I pleaded with the universe,

“My eyes are sore and my bones weary.”

And it answered my call,

Like the twisted wish granted by a genie.

In the beginning I cried

“This is not what I meant!”

But I’ve learned I can endure nothingness,

I can even enjoy it.

Everyday my bed has been made,

And my plants watered.

My stomach has healed from the sores of uneasiness.

My hands sweat more,

But that’s okay.

I have begun to read again,

And I sleep often,

And my eyes stay wide with rest,

And my soul has remembered it’s passions.

I have looked myself in the face,

And seen a new person.

I whisper to the universe,

“Thank you”.