Alive in the Pandemic

 

Tonquin Sunset
by Christine Lowther

In the first year of covid,

our village was safe:

we were careful, compliant,

followed all the rules.

Not one case of covid.

Then they eased the restrictions.

The hordes came, from everywhere,

unmasked, bringing the world's germs.

Now our tiny village hospital

is stretched to the breaking point.

Our friends are getting sick,

some being flown out in planes

to larger centres.

We are more at risk now than

during the first year, when we

were so scared. But now, 

we are tired. We mask,

we wash our hands,

we hope we won't get sick.

But now we know:

at any given moment,

everything in life can change.

I take nothing for granted 

any more.