Written by Clinical Resident Cotorey Seals

An ode to the late nights when we gathered without concern, 

filled rooms with friends just to take up  space we didn’t have to give 

but together with those we love is where we wanted to be;

gave hugs with greetings,

rub shoulders with strangers and wasn’t afraid of being infected.

An ode to to face-to-face conversations,

To history, for things will never be the same after Covid tells her story

An Ode to physical touch, 

and quality time,

Because 

the only language that we now speak

is fear, is anxiety, is depression

Because once we find a vaccine the new conversation will be how PTSD grew legs and matched in our homes, 

How OCD will grow arms and attempt to clean up our mistakes,

Like maybe if we would stayed inside weeks ago.

This virus has went viral, 

this nation’s leadership has loss all its validity with its people, 

They tell us to stand in solidarity but now our homes have become

5 x 9 holding cells.

 

Zoom calls have become the new telephone game without the string,

Hoping these invisible lines will keep us contacted,

But my Wi-Fi keep cutting in-and-out like the seasons, 

Like is it spring yet,

Like

Some blame God, but others have chosen to place their trust in him. 

I fall in the camp with Jesus’ disciples on the boat in the midst of a storm,

Yes The winds and waves do obey Him,

Thunder and lightning always have a way of revealing who’s in control so after the rain and flood stop where will you place your hope?

 

 I’m going to have to tell my kids of such things one day – How we are asked to keep social distancing, but all my close friends feel like second cousins.

How we are ask to stand 6 feet apart, but now some lay 6th feet deep.

Love ones can’t even get a Proper burial,

How we are asked to wear masks just to breath, 

But I still get choked up for the now single mother that has to tell her daughter her daddy is not coming home. 

Reports say America has loss 664k alone.

 

They say Covid don’t see color

But I’m still mourning for

Black and brown bodies that are dying at alarming rates

Like Chicago I see 

Like New York I see 

Like 

When you read line a people you take away their basic essentials –

You Outlined them with white chalk,

You call them ghosts,

You put them back on front lines because

You know they can’t afford to work from home,

While those with privileges are protesting about going back to work, but some people died because they went to work.

Now tell me how that works?

You would think a crisis will bring us together like family reunions, but we are still divided like corporations and labor unions.

They say this recession will be more massive than the Great Depression – 

A stimulus check won’t resurrect some of these mom-and-pop businesses

But let me tell you what Jesus did – 

Took 12 ordinary men and changed the world 

So don’t tell me he can’t change our situation

but I’m praying that he would to change us first 

That we would wake up!

Because today I watched the sunrise ,

it taught me despite dark days,

trouble times will not last always.

Ode to normal

Recognizing our new normal

Have you stopped to recognize the new normal that Covid has brought? Have you stopped to recognize the loss Covid has brought, both in this world and in your personal life? Does this bring fear, worry, anxiety? Has the Covid cloud lifted for you? You know it’s the reality of what we are all facing, coupled with the future we are all hoping to see one day soon. 

We as a world have experienced change based on Covid. There have been long term and short term effects. If we all went to therapy, we would all have enough symptoms that would be connected to an adjustment disorder. Make no mistake about it, change is hard, but change alone is even harder.

This poem was meant to ask two simple questions: how are you doing with your new normal? And what are you doing about it? 

I want to encourage the reader today to take a step towards counseling. If you haven’t been able to process your thoughts, feelings and your new reality, a therapist can help you walk through life as you navigate this new normal. Give us a call today!

We can help you get started

Other Articles by Cotorey Seals