The Invisible Enemy

by Erica Beckman

From the moment I awaken, I am bombarded with chaos.

Trapped in the midst of all that is wrong in the world.

News broadcasts echo throughout my household;

It’s the same thing everyday:

The death toll is rising, and the world’s hope is declining.

And the clouds of darkness hover above, 

Depriving me of any ray of sunshine.

Day after day, I am at the mercy of my own thoughts.

My bed and my bunnies, 

The only sources of comfort I can confide.

Differences of opinion separate those who I am closest.

Out for ourselves.

The selfishness, I can’t help but notice.

Neighbors whom I used to greet during my nightly walks

Now rush to the other end of the street,

As if I am the source of contagion.

Ordered to go nowhere, and if I do,

A mask and gloves are my only defense;

My protection from the intimacy of the public I once experienced.

This invisible enemy now stands in my way of the world.

What I once thought was mine is now lost in fear that has unfurled.

The earth’s natural grounds, once filled with bodies to embrace,

Days roll on by, and their beauty has gone to waste.

We are left in isolation,

Separated by the invisible, and scrambling to find ourselves.

But not all is lost in this moment of emptiness.

My life is seemingly put on hold, 

But I have my passions to save me.

The sun begins to shine when I have a paintbrush in hand,

Or in the songs that I write,

Or in the ways I decorate my room.

I still have my home and my family in whole,

All in good health, and together under one roof.

I have my sweet bunnies to cuddle with in the day,

And Hart to Hart dinners with my mom at night.

Best of all, I haven’t lost anything;

I am still in one piece,

Cradled in the arms of those who love me.

So, nothing may be the same,

And the world might be ever-changed.

It might take months or years 

For things to go back to what they were.

We can point fingers at who to blame,

But what good would it do?

We might be alone, but we are in this together.

In the rain or the sun, or in this dismal weather.

We are in this together.

Life isn’t over.