By Michelle Lesley Annett

Water and lemon
soothe my throat
while the sun beams down, keeping me warm.

All is quiet,
all is still,
yet the birds continue to sing their songs.

Winter has come
& now gone away.
We get a glimmer of spring,
as it gets warmer each day.

This spring is unlike any other I’ve experienced before–
no play dates, no swing sets, not much interaction outdoors.

We stay apart
as much as we can
and avoid each others embrace.
We take every precaution
when we encounter one another face to face.

You in your spot and me in mine,
distance keeps us apart,
but one day soon our routines will coincide.

I inhale deeply before returning inside,
never will I take for granted
the people working to keep so many alive