March 16
Surrounded
by the air of hypervigilance,
we made our way
down empty cobblestone streets,
past shuttered shops,
around the corner, down the hill,
and to the grocery store.
Waiting patiently in line,
people kept their distance,
some with scarves
wrapped ’round their mouths,
some without,
no shortages on shelves,
no overflowing baskets,
someone apologized
for bumping into someone else.
A large drop of thick plastic
between us and the cashier,
skin toned rubber gloves
handed back the change.
We sanitized,
then washed and washed
and washed again,
wiped down our goods,
then showered and washed our clothes —
the virus having made us
OCD.
Late at night
the city under siege
stood on balconies
beating drums and pots and pans,
cheering, whistling,
clapping hands as one.
March 17
Waiting for our plane
a couple of mornings away,
taking temperatures,
once, twice, three times a day
to reassure ourselves
we could get to it,
before the virus
got to us.
Cava, olives, cheese,
once pleasures to enjoy,
now turned into distractions.
Dancing on the Titanic.
March 18
Like summer rain
evaporating on a hot day,
anxiety dissipated
and in its place,
came calm
that whispered,
There’s nothing more to do,
rather than fighting tension like a foe,
let yourself be carried by the flow,
it’s in someone else’s hands.
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A vivid recollection of those early scary days of the pandemic. Thanks for sharing, Larry!
You have captured the essence of this pandemic in “One Year Ago”.
Thanks for sharing.
Well done Larry, you captured the emotions we all felt then . A scary time when our lives were turned up side down.
Larry, I did like your accurate description of the moments last year, our “OCD” behaviours… but what I appreciated the most is that, after all that, “it’s in someone else’s hands”!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.