Member-only story
Surviving the New Normal
Carpe diem, of course
I will not give in to fear,
Or surrender, suffer,
Or lose what is most dear,
As if this pandemic year
Is different from another.
From birth, we are one breath
From death. To live is to lose.
We have no way to choose
Or stay someone from going away —
Mother, father, sister, brother.
We may bury spouses, sons and daughters,
Mourn our friends, neighbors, authors,
Actors, singers, pets — things that matter
In our brief smattering of time.
Fear remains our greatest crime.
We may lose our balance, our agility,
Our hearing, our eyesight, or our ability
To be aware of where we are.
We may lose ourselves piece by piece
Until the day all worries cease.
But in the meantime — our lifetime —
We are amiss if we miss the ways
To enjoy our days and forget our yesterdays
or tomorrows. Life is now.
Now is what we should not lose.
