I have subscribed to the National Geographic newsletter. One of these days I will break down and pay the subscription fee for full access because the images and articles are so inspiring. This one included photographs taken all around the world during the pandemic selected to express “how we deal.” My prompt for my students: select a photograph and take words from the text descriptions to write a poem. And I wrote, too.
I chose a photograph of a pregnant woman. My daughter found out she was pregnant around this day a year ago. I was drawn to the woman. Having a child during a pandemic can bring about heightened anxiety. As the grandmother, I felt the joy.
A moment
is all it takes
to cancel
close
lockdown.
A test
of our humanity
our hunger
our resilience.
We cannot close our eyes, blind-out reality.To grow a life
inside a womb,
nourish and protect,
celebrate its birth– there is somewhereto go, to be
Margaret Simon, draft
with a moment,
comforted and belonging
to the insanity
of things.
Reflections on the Teche 