The Sum of It All

By Gabriel Ibarra, Santa Clara, California, U.S.

I have never: Cleaned, washed, pruned, planted, and painted so much,
all in the confines of my yard and house.
I now know my neighborhood, like never before.
The Jones, with their quaint cottage,
Old Man Rogers, his place no more,
The Stantons, what a mess,
The mystery corner house, shrubbery and plants abound. Complete with wrought iron and warning signs.
It’s the middle of the month, I wish it would hurry along.
At its conclusion, nobody is sure If there will still be confusion.
We hope for the best, but it all comes down to the tests.
There are bright spots, I see babies in strollers, people and dogs alike,
giving the courtesy of six feet and more.
It’s the hand waves I look for.
Long lines at the grocery store,
fewer cars on the road, not seen since the 1980s.
Not enough PPE’s, cleaning supplies, and most importantly TP.
Oh, it's a rough life, like my hands, they have taken a beating,
keeping gloves and lotion close at hand.
My inbox of emails are full of,
”sign here, give money, who is on top in the elections,
Don’t buy this until Monday or Wednesday.”
This moment in time is like no other.
Like the song, “Lean on Me” I am, I surely am.
Hot showers and nutritious food comfort me,
In the corner, I find a book once read cover to cover.
Pictures and papers, collected through the years,
bring new meaning to hope and love.

How do I manage stress?
Having daily calls to siblings, talking to friends and neighbors,
and the latest thing for me are Zoom meetings.
Ms E delivers food, Mr. and Mrs R and M look out for us.
Ms S and Mrs O and family share their time and an understanding ear.
But what counts the most is: “Looking for the Silver Lining.”
Limiting my news cycle to 1/2 hour at most,
Listing to my fav music, an increase of comedy shows,
Now I have time to use the BBQ, smell the flowers on our citrus tree,
gaze at the Super Moon–Oh, and I almost forgot,
I spotted three hummingbirds, yes three.
Again, the worst and best times,
with time standing still
I can gain a better perspective
on staying mentally strong.
Pictures categorized and projects finished and done.
When this is all over we will have a good beginning to leap with our best foot forward,
ready to seize and savor the moment.
For now: the smell of the roses,
seeing the sunset ‘til dusk.
The racquet, weights, and bowling ball I had to put away.
We are not going back to the rat race
but joining the human race.
To all the first responders,
ur hearts go out to you, saving lives 24/7.
We’re in for a new way of life, of this I am sure.
It's hard not getting political, but there it is,
we can’t escape it.
I only have one vote
And I am not going to waste it. So listen up
and read.
On a positive note,
it’s been a full day–
I’ll see what tomorrow’s opportunities come my way.