By Ron Faust

The walls of our cells close tighter

As we look for ways to escape our masks

To prevent the coronavirus from infecting us

We would like to travel to exotic places

But the pandemic is everywhere in our mind

And our addictions cause more confinement

We separate ourselves from people

But we are alone in our thoughts

In our comfort food and sexual desires

We are fascinated by trips to Mars

Repelled by the lies of cult personalities

Chagrined by the complexity of change

We wonder if this is the day we will die

As we become aware of the loss of others

As the cold of winter induces loss of power

We gather our family, our faith, our friends

Around birthdays and entertainment

To escape the shadows of our hardships.

2/21/21  (Ron Faust wrote this poem on the occasion of journeying through the pandemic and considering snow-affected areas like Texas experiencing loss of power and water.)