Pandemic: A Community Poem

In the midst of all the craziness that was the year 2020 I was invited to contribute to a community poem about the most obvious issue in front of me: the pandemic.  The invitation arrived in early May, but I was working far too much and did not respond until late May.  Happily, that was in time.  I was one of 220 poets who contributed.  The hard work of crafting all that into a poem was done by R. G. Rader, and it took them three months.

You can read or hear it at this website:                                   http://www.musepiepress.com/pandemic.html

I find the result impressive, and the reading in a class with a rendition of Ginsberg's Howl that I once heard.  I am glad the poem exists, and pleased that I contributed a line (the one beginning "a fierce species").

Now the poem has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and I believe it's worthy of the accolade, and perhaps winning.

My contribution is far less than 1/220th of the poem.  Someone else thought of it.  A publisher solicited the lines and collected them.  Rader turned a wilderness of lines into a poem and then read and recorded it.  I have done smaller versions of such things, and that is a mighty effort.

Because my contribution was so minor, I choose not to list this award nomination among my accolades, but I wish to celebrate my tiny contribution to this creation.  And I present the poem link here in hopes a few more people will find the poem.  I hope you like it.