Sails

We were all just . . . a pandemic poem

Photo by Bobby Stevenson on Unsplash

We were all just cruising along, minding our own business,
Living our daily lives, repeating our routines.
We were showing up where we had to,
Clocking in a work, attending classes, 
Traveling to and from 
Satellite locations of our lives.

We were making plans,
To meet for coffee, play in the sun on break, 
To celebrate the happy couple, or to lay someone to rest.
Our sails were at full mast, 
And we drifted with the familiar flow.

Then the fabric frayed, with news from distant places.
The rips came as it reached our shores.
The shredding continued,
As businesses closed, cases spread, and our worlds locked down.

We were all stunned, as we sat in our little boats,
On unpredictable seas.
Our sails became ribbons of our former daily lives.
We were alone on our boats, but not on this sea.
Across the waves are other crafts, with souls 
trying to balance on unexpected sea legs.

And now we get to choose, where to set our gaze.
To the strips of our recent past, flapping in the wind?
Or instead, concentrate on interlacing the strands,
In an act of gratitude, for all that has been taken for granted?

Or possibly, focus on the work of collecting these woven threads,
From neighboring boats, 
And intwine our past blessings,
Into a stronger fabric,
Making a sail,
To move us all,
Towards our new normal.