The Summer of the Vaccine

 Welcome to Summer 2021 - 

We are at about 50% vaccinated in my state of PA, and businesses are beginning to fling open doors and relaxing the mask mandates. Broadway is coming back by September and concerts tickets are on sale at major venues (indoor and outdoor).

However, we are not out of the woods yet. India is still under turmoil. They don't have enough vaccines or medical resources for the population. In the US, there are still Covid patients struggling to breathe and the variant strains are challenging the healthcare providers. We are at 600,000 deceased this month. I always remember these people were alive January 2020 and were excited about the new year and had their plans for the new decade. 

As we slowly get back into the world, I don't want us to go back to the way we were. The planet has gone through this transformation - we are more connected than we ever believed.

 

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What We Learned

I don’t want us to forget

how we clung together

without touching one another.

We could feel that energy from six feet away.

It was electrifying and reassuring. 

 

I don’t want us to forget

            how we stocked up on boxes of dry soup we didn’t like

            just because it was on a vacant shelf.

And how we wiped the cans of beans

            that were delivered to our garage

            by a masked shopper who texted us photos of a vacant shelf.

And how we allowed urgency and fear of scarcity

            to lead us rather than rationale

            that there will be more.

            Tomorrow. No, maybe one day.

I don’t want us to forget the quiet moments --

when we plodded around the house,

looking out of the windows

onto peaceful green streets and clear skies.

when we took walks to ground ourselves into the earth     

           and the animals did not run away. 

            They did not recognize us anymore.

when waved to each other through windows of our cars 

            and shared food and drink with friends

once everyone figured out how to get the sound just right.

 

I don’t want us to forget

the comfort of the protection across our faces

forcing us to pause

to check we had a mask before we left the house

forcing us to pause

before we spoke to each other

and learned to smile with our eyes. 

 

I don’t want us to forget

        your hugs

        your laughter

        your words 

        your music

        your wisdom

        your insight

        your beautiful spirit

 

When we learn to live in the new world,

we will save a space for you.

I don’t want us to forget.

because we are forgetting.