Writing During a Pandemic

In March 2020, when the country started to shut down and my trip to a writer’s conference in Tucson was canceled, I thought at least I had my writing. I imagined myself seated in front of my laptop, tackling poems that had gone by the wayside and producing new ones. There was a flurry in the beginning, but new material seemed elusive. So I settled on what became manageable: judging a high school writing contest sponsored by California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch, of which I am a member; leading their poetry critique group that I had started the year before; and even putting the final touches on a poetry chapbook I had promised myself to finish in the two years since my retirement.

 By June, however, I found myself mourning the Tuesdays when I watched my granddaughters and the slow luxurious afternoons in the neighborhood pool. The constant barrage of COVID infections, hospitalizations, and death rates became too much. Distractions (especially the serious kind) are notorious for causing writers to stop in their tracks. I told myself to keep moving. And I did.

 As it’s nearing the end of the year, my loved ones are healthy, and so am I. I’ve edited poems and finished the chapbook. I participate in Zoom writing sessions with other club members. Working alongside these familiar faces while my Shih Tsu snores lightly behind my chair, I’m hopeful that something more will take hold. For me, words, lines, and images are lifesavers.