“The Pandemic in the West” by Antoinette Voûte Roeder

After the initial frenzy

something opens and invites

a rest, abiding in a space

whose taste is foreign

so far have we traveled

from the simple

home-cooked meals,

long walks,

clear skies

solitude

Note the difference

note the texture

of our lives and

if later on

we choose to live

as though it never happened

deep within

we will retain

the memory of

another way

We’ll know

we had a moment

to break through

recalibrate, create

a different future

We’ll know exactly

what we missed

and why.

—April 28, 2020