Sunday, April 12, 2020

Don't Raise Your White Flags Yet


My dad (big smile, sitting in front wearing the dark flight suit and flak helmet) with his ROTC buddies, 1945



*

Tonight, the world is an abandoned lot 
enclosed by chain link fences,
and us, trapped,

two helpless birds,
two fish caught in nets,
two knotted napkins.
But I’ll say to you,

Hang on, love,
hang on.
Don’t raise your white flags yet.
Don’t surrender.

I’m sending you
a breeze for your sail,
sweet wind of faith.

I’ll blow a lock of hair
off your pale forehead
and sing to you
from far away.

Don’t give up, mi amor.

Together, we’ll hang on
the wires of the world.

We’ll billow, sway,
and flutter.

Soon, the fence will crumble
and we’ll dance.

“Breeze for your sail” by Claudia Serea from TwoXism. 8th House Publishing © 2018


*


Hello dear friends, I hope this little poem by Claudia Serea finds you safe and sound. Life has changed so much since I last updated my blog(s). It's been hard to concentrate, and a little hard not to feel worried as the virus strikes down people both young and old. But, as this Easter morning slowly starts to dawn (it's very early in the morning as I write) I think of all the people whose connection I feel despite the separation or the distance, including my dad who I miss everyday despite him being gone since April of 2009, and my mother in her house in New York, my two daughters sheltering in their own college cities, and all the people I know and care for, including you dearest blog friends. But I like the hopefulness of the last line, the poet's vision of reunion by the crumbling of the fence and the dancing afterwards. Yes, I'd very much like that. And so I wish everyone a happy Easter-- may the season of renewal and rebirth give us the hope to carry us through the long wait. And then we should all come out from the worldwide lockdown and dance :))




p.s. RIP John Prine, poet, singer and songwriter, and former Chicago mailman, who died a few days ago from covid-19. We miss you already dear John.

4 comments:

  1. Yes bc these are tough times. We are on a 3 week lockdown which is about to end. They plan to extend it by another 2 weeks. Seems like it is working. Number of new cases are less. We can't afford mass infection. Our system can't handle it. Hope you had a good Easter.

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    1. Thank you so much George, it seems that the lockdowns are indeed working but hopefully when they are lifted re-infection numbers will be manageable. Easter was quiet here, and despite the lockdown and the virus raging on, life is finding a way...Stay safe and well my friend

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    2. hi B.C.here is the same,lockdown seems to work but not all people understand this.... great post,really! stay safe! ew

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    3. Thank you so much, ew. Indeed, it's simple enough to stay home, wash hands, wear masks, but i understand how some people cannot because they may be homeless, or have other problems. I just wish our system is better at coordinating between government and what the people need.

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