Out and About (Sort of): Coping – A Coronavirus Poetic Perspective by Howard Freedlander

Being isolated, staying within yourself
Reading, talking and writing, accepting quiet
No deadlines, no rush, no must-to’s, no busy days
Seems like living in a mandated daze.

Taking the dog for more frequent walks
Lingering longer over news updates about a virus
Current times have no recent precedent
Seems like a time of living through the fog of an accident.

Moping is no answer, no solution
Emotional distress offers no relief
Fear is normal, but in moderate measure
Seems like  a time for thoughtful leisure.

Calls to friends and family are longer
Conversation seems more meaningful
We’re all in the same shaky boat
Seems like a time to dote and maybe joke.

Email messages contain good humor
Creativity seems happily rampant
Human nature yearns to go forth
Seems like a time for periodic mirth.

My delightful dog sits by my feet
She knows not of a spreading disease
She’s content to enjoy her owners
Seems like a time for cozy quarters.

We especially miss seeing our family
The essential glue that girds our lives
Just a byproduct of our closed times
Seems like a time for cheer of kinds.

Wonder about longtime impact on our grandchildren
What will they remember, internalize
Hope our strange times make them more resilient
Seems like a time for growth, if not immediate.

Rending to think about the rising death toll
Desperate measures taken by medical professionals
Seeking to stem the tide of coronavirus
Seems like a time to spread praise as a thankful chorus.

Offers of help warm the heart
Grace is a daily component
Gratitude is a constant companion on our daily lessons
Seems like a time to count our blessings.

Ventured out one early morning for senior shopping
To join my wife and sense any panic
Some empty shelves, purposeful people
Seems like a time to nod, to be supple.

Poetry is good for the heart and mind
Painting a picture of life as one sees it
Delving into your soul for comfort and solace
Seems like a time to seek spiritual promise.

To my loyal weekly readers
Attend to combating a pesky virus
Dream about its disappearance and resolution
Seems like a time to imagine an end to isolation.

Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.