The Story Behind the Poem: Love in a Pandemic

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     February 14th, Valentine's Day, 2020, I flew to Las Vegas to spend it with Bill. We got engaged that weekend. The plan was that he was going to wrap up things in Vegas and move to Oregon and we would get married. This was targeted for August 2020, as his lease was up August 1st. Then March 2020, the pandemic hits and everything is shut down. Bill and I were in frequent text and phone conversation and proceeding as planned. One evening I talked to him and he said that he was tired. The next day I couldn't reach him. I freaked out worried that he had gotten COVID and what if he was lying alone in a coma? A little silly as he had a roommate so he wouldn't have been completely alone. Next day I reached him and nothing was wrong. I just had let my imagination and all the bad publicity about the pandemic take over. Thus I wrote the poem:


     Love in a Pandemic


     Here I am as I've been told

     Sheltered from the rain and cold

     I wash my hands with lots of soap

     I'm doing all I can to cope

     My thoughts, however, are of you

     Are you safe where you are, too?

     I disinfect my house again

     And worry if you are in pain

     The distance makes it all seem worse

     Imagination's been a curse

     You must forgive my frequent call

     For you must know you are my all.





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