So much suffering and even still
searing these Covid years with strange patterns like wood worm in a fallen branch
dying without goodbyes,
kisses, words of love hanging in grieving hearts – still
medical workers in exhaustion slipping grips, in many failures suffering
and with courage and compassion standing beside – even still
suffering in their eyes too
streets full of people you can’t see
children cooped. indolent, freaked out and under-served
anxious for their parents and grandparents, for losses they hear of,
a twisting of childhood wringing out the fun
in places hunger, war, and violence
don’t look away – even 2021
they have no hospital beds, no medicines: still
look, look, through the strange and frightening tracings of this disease
love is present still
flowing fast and sweet like breath to every empty heart or life
inflaming tended losses
fanning courage and kindness still
mosses and grasses grow, creatures sharing living, brighten still
loves revealed starkly
flower wisdom, kindness and compassion
the old ordinary so missed
turns out was made of love
who knew?
There is birth and There is death
in plain sight now
the once unnoticed comfort
reveals love,
and come what may, that is for eternity