Pandemic
What if you thought of it as the Jews consider the Sabbath — the most sacred of times ? Cease from travel . Cease from buying and selling . Give up , just for now , on trying to make the world different than it is . Sing . Pray . Touch only those to whom you commit your life . Center down .
And when your body has become still , reach out with your heart . Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful . ( You could hardly deny it now .) Know that our lives are in one another ’ s hands . ( Surely , that has come clear .) Do not reach out your hands . Reach out your heart . Reach out your words . Reach out all the tendrils of compassion that move , invisibly , where we cannot touch .
Promise this world your love – for better or for worse , in sickness and in health , so long as we all shall live .
– Lynn Ungar 3 / 11 / 20
You can listen to a to a choral arrangement of “ Pandemic ” composed by Martin Sedek and performed by CONCORA , under the direction of Chris Shepard at
https :// www . martinsedek . com / reach . You can also listen to the author reading her work there . Lynn Ungar ’ s first book of poetry , Blessing the Bread , earned her fans around the world . In March of 2020 her poem “ Pandemic ” went viral , and in the following days she has been writing and sharing poetry in response to these strange times we live in . You can read more of her poetry and buy her books online at
www . lynnungar . com
St Margaret ’ s News 10 September