*My Journey Through Covid 19*
The Locked Spirit
It doesn’t pain to be locked in the body as much,
As seeing your loved ones around you locked in their homes does,
And the comfort that comes to you on seeing their serene faces is such,
That it makes you feel like you are soaring high with the beautiful doves.
But unfortunately, this freedom has been snatched away by the pandemic,
And I have to admit, my arthritis could only lock my body down,
And the effect of the corona virus has been so apocalyptic,
That for the first time in my life, my loved ones who gave me a sense of freedom, their limitations have locked my spirit down.
The Normal in the Abnormal
But the grief that came with this mental lockdown intensified ten fold,
When corona couldn’t push me back as hard as my arthritis did,
And this attack was terrifying because the situation forbade me to catch a doctor’s hold,
But still, to bring me back to my feet and save my life yet again came my doctor, even when he was overly occupied and active on the virus’ grid.
He was like an angel, committed to help me fight this battle,
And even though he couldn’t attend to me in the hospital, he selflessly tended to me through calls and messages even if untimely,
And his sincere efforts and concern helped me regain my life’s mantle,
As for me he symbolised the Almighty himself, by improving my health greatly.
The Reconciliation
Now that the situation is being termed as the new normal,
And the absolute cut off from my family and doctor has changed to occasional visits,
I observe that the people don’t find my situation as abnormal,
Because like me, they have been forced to live in a lock down like inmates.
And what I have seen after spending this time,
Is that the world has learnt to empathise,
Because the care we are told to take of our life is worth every dime,
As the life of all species is of utmost importance, this message which was extremely hard to learn otherwise.
-This poem has been composed by Lukshita Nayyar, a 15-year-old student on behalf of her maternal grandmother, Mrs. BC, who has suffered from RA since 2009.