

A Pandemic Saga
Wake, Sleep, Wake, Sleep –
End to End, Anxieties seep
Starve, Eat, Starve, Eat —
Do we have bread? What about meat?
We can’t all hide in homes by the lake;
Leaders shrug “Let them eat cake.”
Limit the trips they are allowed
Not where people gather in crowds.
Work, Rest, Work, Rest —
Shelter in your nest; surely they jest!
Half of us are frontline daily
The other half is blind to disparity.
Shop on-line, Expect delivery at morning light
By people; not elves scurrying throughout the night —
Essential workers providing food,
And medicine and care — Doing Good
For the rest of the human race;
Standing strong, staring death in the face.
Laugh, Cry, Laugh, Cry,
Some believe, some deny.
Test all, Test few
Test old, Test anew.
There must be Godly reasons why
Some live; too many die.
Health systems fail,
Families wail.
Laws shutter small money-makers;
Covid rewards big money-takers.
Lockdown downtown,
Stand-down uptown,
Time for revolt is near;
Burdens are too heavy to bear.
Accept, Reject, Accept, Reject –
We are shamed for seeming inept at
Virtual death with virtual funerals,
Virtual pain watching virtual burials,
Virtual joy in the midst of suffering —
Virtual courtship and Virtual wedding;
Virtual school, Virtual play;
Children resist their virtual day.
On-line check-up; On-line church -
All powers have left us in the lurch.
We adapt bit by bit to notions
Of distant ceremonies and celebrations —
On-screen meals with family members;
Hug a friend? We can’t remember
When last we had that privilege —
Definitely before the Covid carnage.
Stop, Go, Stop, Go —
Vaccines are coming. Wait, they’ll be slow.
Numbness hides how we actually feel,
More so than masks we wear for real.
When will this all end?
On whom can we depend?
We have today, that’s all we know.
There’s still hope — possibly tomorrow.
Copyright Aug. 2020, Allison Y. Gibbons
The Image in the Mirror
I looked in the mirror
And saw my twelve- year old self –
Unlined face, Innocent eyes,
Trusting smile, life still on the shelf;
Another time I saw my mother
Looking back at me;
Both persons were the same –
I wondered how that could be.
Then they appeared again;
Ghosts – Mirage – The past, the future,
I smiled back at one and then the other.
Both of them were me.
Copyright © 2019, Allison Y Gibbons
Turnstiles
Turnstiles of Life – rollercoaster or merry-go-round.
Doors that lead to other doors –
Spiraling staircases through open floors –
Showcasing choices; Next choice is yours;
Contentment or disappointment, smile or frown,
Choice lies before you, up, down or around.
Trapdoors, skylights, closings and openings,
Darkness into darkness; light into light,
Moody clouds from grey through white;
Day gently chases away the night
Signaling reminders of beginnings and endings:
Sunrise, sunset, mornings and evenings;
Sun warming the flesh – we shudder in delight.
Rain washes the earth, mingling with our tears;
Thunder and lightning evoke our fears.
We welcome rest as the night nears,
Then dawn brings day with the new light
Or so it should, or not; either way it’s alright.
Copyright © 2019, Allison Y. Gibbons
Our Life Story
Life is where Life unfolds
Telling its own timeless story
Of happenings and events yet untold
Still, as always, in the present the glory.
Life is how Life itself reveals -
Marching, wending forever forward,
Bringing joy in peals and squeals
Of laughter now and moving onward –
Blending in the pain and sorrow
Drawing tears along the way,
Relieved by the promise of tomorrow,
Yet Life is really about just today.
Copyright © 2017, Allison Y. Gibbons
From Strangers to Friends
How do we move from strangers to friends?
A shy smile? A bold step? It truthfully depends
On whether we wish to build bridges or walls
Or upon whose heart the spirit calls;
We determine how the first encounter ends.
Do we retreat to a familiar time and place
Or open the gathering to create a space
To be filled by that stranger – someone new –
Someone not of our crew or hue,
Whom we can welcome by warm embrace?
Show ourselves as brave enough to explore
The possibilities of an open door,
Of open minds and open hearts,
Dispelling myths that keep us apart:
Friend greeting friend; strangers no more.
Copyright © 2016, Allison Y Gibbons