Lessons From The Pandemic

I can feel the suffering
in the airwaves
and a fear for those
who may crash and burn
now that our wings
have been clipped.
Death is sweeping
a dark hand over us all
regardless of country, or kin,
or faith or party affiliation
but Life welcomes the pause.

The skies seem bluer,
the clouds whiter,
the edges sharper
as if the whole world
is now coming into view.
Sky and sea breathe
a little deeper, soil sinks
more completely into itself,
trees whisper their wish that this
is an awakening and not a dream.

Animals that once obeyed
an invisible barrier from the
relentless flow of humanity,
now roam, alert with wonder,
at a newfound freedom
while we, in our cloistered worlds,
face the barren truth of our lives,
seeking new ways of loving
the untouchable in each other.

It is a great test of our resolve
to learn how we do the most good
by doing the least out in the world.
I do not know if it will be enough
for us to turn the corner after
the dark hand has passed

when we sit again
with loved ones at a table
to share our tears for what
we have lost, and to sing
our gratitude for each other
and for the world in which
we are left to live. But I hear,
in the background,
Bradley Cooper’s voice
singing: “maybe it’s time
to let the old ways die.”

In this era of suspect surfaces and social distance, now that we are sheltering in place, we have a chance to “face the barren truth of our lives” and to seek “new ways of loving the untouchable in each other.”

What barren truths are you facing in this momentous moment in history? What new ways of loving are you seeking in the era of suspect surfaces and social distance?

The pandemic is forcing us out of our usual routines and challenging us to create new patterns.

What old ways in your life would you like to let die during this period of transformation? What new ways would you like to invite?

What old ways in the world would you like to be transformed and what new ways would you like to invite into life?

Please share your thoughts
and comments below.