Heal The Earth Poem by Susan Lacovara

I call out from the quiet of my cubbyhole
Staying in the silence of waiting
I'm introspective and a little introverted
Steadying myself for the approach
of another numbered day

Numbers that scream out
to assault the senses
Numbers so staggering
I find myself gasping for air
Numbers tallying the sickened, the stricken...
The unsuspecting victims of invasive ventilators
Stealing their voices in their sequestered state
of separation and uncertainty
Numbers that change by the minute
Each minute...every minute...
So take a minute
and breathe in your (possibly)forgotten blessings

Here, in the now,
WE are New Yorkers
Historically familiar with struggle
And the test of our strength and resolve
WE do not succumb to surrender
WE remember our fortitude of past resilience
WE rise up, when challenged
to greater heights
of humility and compassion
WE must...so WE do!

Spring was to be a welcomed time
Of hearts thawing and daffodils dancing
This, instead, quite a surreal environment to face
But we do not face it ALONE
We share our "new normal" globally
With Italy, with Spain, China, Australia
With the entire complete circumference
Of the world, held hostage
Near and far
This is everyone's illness to heal

The fears are understood
The anxiety is expected
The danger mounts
And we continue to face it together

Take time to be more gentle now
Not just to one another
but also to yourself

Compassion, tolerance,
generosity and spirituality
All can be highly contagious
The human condition can be beautiful
Can be infectious
If we SPREAD LOVE NOT GERMS

My prayers spoken daily
My actions are resolute to somehow play a part
In the Earth's healing process