Gone Viral

A Mohawk Valley poet reflects upon the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

Poem by Richard M. Barrett

Photo byAdam NieściorukonUnsplash

A feeling of angst hangs heavy in the air.
  The streets are all empty, store shelves are bare.
  The world outside has forced us in.
  We're all in a place where we've never been.
 
  Our daily lives turned upside down,
  once cheerful happy faces now wearing frowns,
  pondering the future, there are deep sighs and tears
  as we muster the courage to beat back our fears.
 
 Empty days pass slowly into long, dreamless nights.
 Hope rises and falls with each hour of this fight,
 Will there be a knockout, in the end who will stand tall?
 If only the answer could be found in a crystal ball.
 
 It's a fight to stay healthy, a battle to stay sane.
 We know sooner or later there’ll come a break in the rain,
 and the sun will shine again and the clouds of gloom will lift,
 and if we look down deep inside perhaps we'll find a gift.
 
 That we’re stronger together than we are apart.
 And if we haven't begun preparing the time is nigh to start,
 and the goodness of humanity rises like cream up to the top
 and our lives are meant for living too much to ever stop.