I see myself in deep thought
Clearing the kitchen sink
After sharing modest meal
With my grandson
Now getting used
To on-line classes.
In those dreary months
You learn the art
Of coping
Of planning meals
Of making do
With reduced income
While turning to Chopin nocturnes
Early in the morning.
In those dreary months
You learn the art
Of talking to plants
Re-arranging pots
Pruning branches
Pouring soil
To thinning layers
After constant watering.
The months of panic deadlines
Are gone
You settle and accept
What has become of you
As slave of the computer.
You turn away
From writing that pays
And focus on verses
That provides nutrients for the soul
And less food on the table.
A lot to be thankful for
A healthy body
Sturdy knees
Mind that still works
And pure contentment
As you see your grandkids
Grow and seemingly adjusted
To the hard times
Such as they are.
You face the reality
Of viruses
For what they are.
They come
When you least expect them
Wreaking havoc on the lives
Of friends and colleagues
And celebrities
All over the world.
More than the threat of hunger
Beyond the threat of sudden demise
You see extreme kindness
Taking shape
Where once they were all busy
Slaying assorted goals.
As the weeks turn into months
You learn to appreciate
The beauty of silence
Of being alone
Of being patient
Of looking like
A sturdy picture
Of perseverance.
That silence is all you need
To comprehend
Why real people care
And to be patient
With a government
That has seen better days.
A lockdown
Divides your being
Into useful parts.
I like the part
That appreciates quiet streets
I like the part
That transforms sensuality
Into guideposts for spiritual living
I like the part
That transforms suffering
Into bottomless
Sources of empathy.
It is another year
Of uncertain lockdown.
I like to retrace
How I coped with it.
I am still alive
I can still smell flowers
I can taste even bland food
The anatomy of lockdown
Is breaking the parts
Of gloom
And turning them
Into pieces of hope.
* * *