I See You (a poem for a pandemic)

I See You (a poem for a pandemic)

I see you in the shadows of night,

On the balconies and terraces,

Singing a tune while shining your light.

 

I see you on your webcam trying to work,

I know it’s hard with kids in the other room,

Ready to pounce, open the door and lurk.

 

I see you giving a concert over the web,

Sharing your voice, music and gift,

Joining us as one and pausing your celeb.

 

I see you walking up the road,

A cautionary hockey stick apart,

Yearning to kiss, waiting patiently to explode.

 

I see you gleefully playing family board games,

Reigniting relationships previously worn thin,

Laughing in love, burning the blame.

 

I see you in your beat-up car,

Delivering groceries to the weak and needy,

Because your heart is as big as a star.

 

I see you making handmade masks at home,

To fill the shortage that grows large,

Not for credit, but perhaps to say “shalom.”

 

I see you behind the plastic and conveyor belt,

Scanning my food with a smile from ear to ear,

It’s not what you asked for but what has been dealt.

 

I see you at 7pm banging your pots,

Feting our angels, the healthcare heroes,

Who continue to deal with the COVID knot.

 

I see you in the ICU,

Stricken, helpless, reflecting on a life,

This is not goodbye rather a momentary adieu.

 

~Dan Pontefract, April, 2020