Slowing in the Pandemic

by Karen Keltz


“When we get to the other side of the slog and look back, what will we have contributed, learned, and created?”  Seth Godin 

Some days I feel like a slacker.
I just want to sit in the sun
In my garden amongst the flowers
And read a book,
watch neighbors drive by.

Do I always have to be moving
Producing
Like some factory robot?
Might I learn to enjoy quiet beauty
And someone else’s creation?

Weeding my garden,
I uncovered a worm
Which I took to the bench
Below the birdhouse
On my deck,
Where swallows are creating a nest.
When I looked later,
It was gone.
My contribution—
Takeout
For birds.



Karen Keltz is a former educator, journalist and middle grades novelist, who has won awards for poetry, essays, and screenplay. She lives in Tillamook, Oregon, with her husband and cranky cat. Varada J.M is a 9th-grader based in Kerala’s Koyilandi, studying at Rani Public School, Vadakara. After hurriedly doing homework, Varada divides her time between practicing classical dance and watching horror films. She loves dogs but nobody at home wants one.