Stockman, Kristin, 2020

2020

Kristin Stockman

New Year, New Beginning. A time to start living, and a time to travel far. All the new adventures that I will take. Wait,unfortunately that is not what it is.

Hand sanitizer, masks, and six feet apart. I’m trapped inside, I’m out of sorts. Paranoid of germs and all of the struggles. I hope one day it will all just settle.

I’m cold, I’m hurt and tired of this. I need a break, I need it to end. Covid-19 is an awful disease and one day I hope we’ll be free. Virtual learning and new routines. Oh why oh why does this have to be.

A Year of COVID-19

Elaina Leith

January 2020 Graduating high school Planning a trip to see my best friend in Florida Excited to begin my new adult life Covid has just come to the United States

February Started college and a new job Started a life outside of high school News has broken that the virus is deadly, and deaths are starting to rise The panic has awakened

March My trip was canceled due to restrictions Life was beginning to shut down The grocery stores beingflooded like it’s a holiday Companies can’t produce enough toilet paper fast enough A nationwide quarantine has started

April Family and I become close Excitement fills my mind having to go to the grocery store Cases have risen to millions Millions are without jobs Days are long and dreadful

May Counting the days til I see my friends Spring Semesterending George Floyd protest starting Black Lives Matter movement starting Corona Virus deathssurpass 100,000

June Summer has started Returned back to work Sawclose friends The BLM movement and protestscontinue

July A new normal is born Life is almost back to normal but with a mask

A vaccine is created

August Begin a new job Starting to think about my birthday New types of Covid testsare created

September A new semester hasstarted Birthday has passed A countdown til I begin at a new college has started New York is in phase 3

October Life without a mask seemsto be near A cousin is born My first car goes to the junkyard The presidential election isthe new headline Numbersfor coronavirus cases are beginning to rise

November Voted for the first time First Thanksgiving without a house full of people Numbers have risen again Western New York is in the orange zone Nonessential businesses are shut down

December One month til I move to a new state Businessesare opening back up Cases are under control again The new year is coming Maybe a life without a mask is near

The Chair

LaVita J. Spentz

My dad’s old recliner chair isa place I love to sit. It’s my comfort zone where I write and look out the window, The chair is where I sat each morning before the pandemic hit.

No birds singing their morning songs right on cue, No movement from people walking or driving by, It was like a Stephen King movie and I was the only one alive.

Living alone didn’t help the emptiness I felt each day, The chair became my best friend as we got through this together, There was no one to talk toandlet them know that I’m okay.

The chair gave me comfort and confirmation that someone was near, Writing in my prayer journal, all my thoughts were all I had, Each day I felt so alone, depressed as I kept reminding myself that God is here.

The chair and I have never been the same, I’m free to be me. Like the prisonwarden releasing me, I can now go out and socialize, I will always follow the guidelines and wear my mask when I go outside.

Frontline Heroes

Willem Kulniszewski

Always prepared for everything, Brave Courageous Dedicated Eager to help those who they meet. Frontline heroes they are. Great teamwork Helping through troubling times. I salute thee. Juggling the stress of both work at home and at the office. Kind and compassionate. Legends they are. Masked and ready, Never afraid to get their hands dirty. Outstanding ovations they deserve. Patients constantly come in and out of care. Quietly waiting for this to be over, Ready for the future to come. Smart doctors oversee the work being done. Teamwork that cannot be beat. Up and up to the top they go. Very nice to be greeted by friendly faces. Working passionately X-cellent work You and I salute them all. Zen shall come.