Another Week in the Epicenter Living with Quarantine in Spring, Essay in the Mighty, Poems in Moon City Review, and Now: Poetry Videos

Cherry Branches

Another Week in the Epicenter: Living with Quarantine in Spring

Hello from March 2020 in Seattle, where Coronavirus has killed over 90 people, we still don’t have enough test kits, masks and ventilators are in short supply, and everyone is trying to shelter in place. Quarantine has become common – California, New York, Connectibut and Illinois all have strict policies in place, while in Washington, we’ve been urged but not forced to quarantine ourselves for the time being. All normal activites – shopping, going to work, going to the doctor or dentist – have been halted. All to buy a little more preparation time while we wait for someone – generous billionaires, brilliant scientists, unfortunately probably not our (seriously blundering) government leaders – to find something to treat or slow this virus. Meanwhile I’m seriously trying to stay safe, stay alive, write poems, and take pictures of flowers.

You can read about some of my experiences living as an immune-compromised people in the US epicenter of Coronavirus in this essay at The Mighty. And here are some shots of spring blooming all around us, and a robin.

: Robin

: Red Camellia Blossom

: Pink Cherry Blossom close-up

: double daffodils

St Patrick’s Day

Poems and Reading Lists and St. Patrick’s Day

We celebrated a quiet St. Patrick’s Day at home, taking a stroll through emptied winery grounds and making scones and tea. Glenn and I at least got all dressed up in green for the occasion.

With all the sheltering-in-place, I’ve had plenty of time for reading, and I’ve been really enjoying two new poetry books, both with space themes.

Sylvia with my current poetry reads

Sylvia poses with two brand-new poetry books that I love: John Gallaher‘s Brand New Spacesuit from BOA and The Tilt Torn Away from the Seasons by Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers from Acre Books. I highly recommend both. I’ve read all of John’s books, and this is my favorite so far – reassuring somehow in this odd time, full of humor and hope.

Three New Poems in Moon City Review

Sylvia cuddling with the new issue of Moon City Review

I also got my contributor copes of Moon City Review, with three of my poems in it.

Here’s a sneak preview of one of the poems, as well as Sylvia looking adorable with the issue. Yes, this blog post does feature two pictures of my cat. I have been spending a lot of time cuddling with my two cats and feeling very grateful for that, as well as phone calls and FaceTime with friends and family. Poetry and cats happen to be my coping mechanisms under stress.

Poem from Moon City Review

Did I mention that I was also being tested for cancer and a pretty serious (non-Coronavirus) infection this week? The news wasn’t all good (liver tumors have multiplied and some have grown) but not seriously bad, either (no infection found or giant masses, which was good.) We chronically ill folks have to deal with mortality every day, not just during a pandemic; we are always on guard for things going wrong in our body. It is exhausting, and I know you are exhausted too.

So, in Light of the Quarantine and All, Some Poetry Videos

Someone asked me this week to make a video of me reading a poem for one of her classes. I had never done this before and she showed me how to do it with my iPhone. So, after I made that poetry video, I made a bunch of others. Here are links to a few of them. I am reading from Moon City Press’s Field Guide to the End of the World, poems that seem (though they were written years earlier) to be written for this time.

Here’s me reading “Every Human is a Black Box.”