Poetry

By Susan Ross

In uncertain times, there are religious and lay people, who hold others together- spiritually, physically, or both-so that everyone may come through calamities stronger in mind and body.

These unique individuals may bring people together with religious classes or services, sustaining us on spiritual journeys to a better tomorrow, or with calls, emails, or personal contacts, conveying messages of comfort and hope.

The pandemic has bound us in ways beyond our imagination, with a shared sense of loss, pain, and grief. It is a virus that cuts across all ages, backgrounds, religions, ethnic groups, and occupations.

Yet, these times have allowed us to see one another on levels that unite us rather than divide us. We are at a portal in time that requires introspection and analysis of the past. Perhaps, we will decide that going back to the old ways is not the best option for the future and that we are eager for a new beginning.

In towns and cities throughout our country, people have embraced friends and strangers with generosity and solidarity to create activities, events, and projects that feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, and entertain us all. They are providing that necessary light at the end of the tunnel.

May the medical advances being made today aid us in expanding our horizons to new heights of wonder, fulfillment, and abundant happiness. The future holds great promises, a better tomorrow for all of us.

By Michael Zweig

Counting the days
of this self-imposed exile
by weeks now.
The anomie of days, and time.
Strange, but was it always that way,
before the exile?
Before the days melded one into the next?
And before each day’s sunset became a sad reminder, of lost dreams and lives?

Yet as I now count weeks, I see and hear more, or differently.
See a grounded lady bug struggling to survive (as I take the time to help it).
Hear the wind across the water.
Marvel as Venus takes her throne in the sky.
Totally mesmerized by the robin, bursting with spring.
Accompanied by the cicadas‘ symphony.
At last, taking the time to exult, and to cry.