My Name is “Covid”

By JoAnn Haas

Hi! My name is “Covid”.
I have 19 things to share with you.

1) I am a breathtaking experience.
2) I do not like masks that hide and protect you from me.
3) I will seek you out and find you especially if you are lost in a crowd.
4) I do not discriminate.
5) I will not abandon you.
6) I will cling to you like a vine and hold onto you like you have never been held before.
7) I will transform you and you will never be the same.
8) I want all of your attention.
9) I am selfish and self-serving.
10) I want to meet all of your family and friends.
11) I am stronger than you think. I am invincible.
12) I do not like to be challenged. I always win.
13) I am reckless and discontent.
14) I do not know why you don’t like me. I have a world-wide reputation.
15) I am not going to disappear just like that.
16) I’ve been on a long journey that is never-ending.
17) I am tired and need you to survive.
18) I am deadly and I will kill you if I can.
19) My name is “Covid” and I will go down in history.

I find that writing during the pandemic helps me to process the many different emotions that evolve from the painful reality of Covid-19 and its side effects.  A few friends of mine have lost loved ones due to Covid-19 and their pain resonates with me. I, too, have experienced how devastating it felt when I was unable to visit a loved one while in the hospital. Writing helps me to accept how suddenly and abruptly our lives have changed as we are forced to become more physically and socially isolated from each other. 

While I am powerless over the virus, I find solace in writing.  If any of my poetry, or writings, can reach out and touch another person,  then I am grateful for the opportunity to share them.