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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Poem for Older Adult Senior Communities



                               
                                               They know you, a bold executioner
                                               roaming their halls seeking humans
                                               to complete your pandemic purpose.
                                               Nights follow days in a quarantined
                                               existence of food, TV and hobbies.
                                              Thoughts of limited time increase
                                               survival of those determined to live.
                                               With distance, washing and masks,
                                               they wrestle with fear, while nearby

                                               victims scramble for scraps of life.

                                               Whispers saying, “She has the virus”
                                               and “He died yesterday” create new
                                               visions of people wracked with pain.
                                               Healthcare workers wearing full-body
                                               protection suits seem sinister, surreal,
                                               surprising in a place known as home.
                                               Posted photographs of deceased friends
                                               remind them of good times that will end.
                                               Their new normal is difficult, but doable.
                                               Mugged by history, they pray for peace.

                                                     
                                               © Frances Shani Parker


Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers. Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog Website: http://www.francesshaniparker.com/