I’m a writer, a poet! So what do I do when stressed out? WRITE POETRY! Poetry is the way I have processed life—no different during the coronavirus pandemic. Read the first in a series of poems I’ve written! What a long month! Since we got back from Spain a month ago, I’ve processed my fear and anxiety about the possibility of getting the coronavirus through words, thoughts and poems.
Here’s a poem I wrote a couple days ago, and I will be sharing more in the next couple days.
By: Larada Horner-Miller
April 7, 2020
Thirty-one days
Since we left
Coronavirus-stricken Madrid
And Spain
We left on March 8th;
It exploded there the 9th.
Thirty-one days of
Holding my breath
Self-examination
By the minute
Self-diagnosis
Daily
Self-screening
Repeatedly
Washing hands
washing hands
washing hands!
A throat tickle
Sore throat
Diarrhea
Cough
Is it the virus?
Dread and anxiety gripped me
Two weeks of
Self-quarantine
Desperate not to share
If I had it.
Dances cancelled
CALLERLAB cancelled
Life cancelled!
After two weeks
A sigh
Maybe we made it
Yet. . .
Incubation period
2 — 14 days
maybe 27
Oh, my God!
Shelter-in-place
Nothing new
No new symptoms
After two weeks,
Out of the house for the first time
For a prescription and groceries
Panic and fear
People six-feet apart
at the drug store
Safe yet foreign
People too close to me
In the grocery store
Claustrophobic
Malted Easter Eggs lured me in
Impulse buying
No, it’s Easter time
I always buy them at Easter
Normal routine
Two bags
I wolfed down one whole bag
immediately
And gained three pounds!
Remedy to grocery shopping
Senior time slot
Early in the morning
Safer
Respectful of distance
Less people
Still washing hands
disinfecting the bags
the Jeep
the steering wheel
the knobs
EVERTYTHING!
Watching my husband, Lin, closely
Fear gripped my heart
Both of us have had health issues
the last couple years
Three weeks gone
Another sigh of relief
Yet in the back of my mind
And heart
Will it happen?
Will it sneak up and attack
when I least expect it?
Tomorrow I will breathe
Celebrate
Relax
Praise God!
But today,
I am still apprehensive
Not sure
Wondering?
God protect us!
We live in uncertain times, staying home when I’m used to being with others, dancing, traveling and hugging. I haven’t been able to visit our ranch in southeastern Colorado and be rejuvenated by open prairies, a magnificent evening sunset silhouetting Saddlerock or an evening ride around our ranch with my brother looking for wildlife and sharing favorite memories!
I’m an extrovert, so I need you and your hugs! However, we can cope with this insanity—we just have to find the best way that works for our individual personalities!
I hope my words comfort your heart—take them as a virtual hug! Let me know how you have felt during this sad time! And there will be more!
~Visit my web site for all the information you need about me and my books: https://www.laradasbooks.com
~Whitey & Gladys Puerling were playful friends of Flippo’s who created a Fan Club. I thought it would be fun to recreate this group. Would you like to join the Marshall Flippo Fan Club Facebook page? Read interesting posts about Flippo’s life. https://www.facebook.com/groups/328325644382769/
~ I HAVE 232 PRE-ORDERS FOR THE MARSHALL FLIPPO BIOGRAPHY! It will be published by in APRIL! You, too, can pre-order this amazing story! You can select which paper format or e-book format you would like. Go here to order the version you want. Monthly SWAG Giveaways! https://goo.gl/forms/4D4hwbHdme1fvJc42
