It’s a fearful time

So our minds slip from the now to the what ifs

And travel to an imagined scenario,

Like Act 1 of a tragic play.

Act 1: travel to the future

Loved ones are center stage in acute distress.

We see them lonely in quarantine.

See them in hospital without our tender touch.

This is a call to recall.

Time for act 2: travel to the past

We hear them dancing, animated;

Feeling the warm hugs and kisses.

We see them sharing food and drink,

Smelling familiar perfume or aftershave.

Act 3...

The cast joins hands, moves to stage edge

Singing a song of appreciation and hope.

Enjoining us to recall those scenes

Which summon us to a safer future.

Carol McDermott and her husband Bruce have lived in Mystic since 1981. They have two daughters and four grandchildren, whom they love dearly but neither family lives close by. She is a licensed professional counselor just learning the ropes of online counseling.

“The psyche fascinates me, and I have been reading and writing poetry since high school. One mentor told me it was ‘poetic prose,’” she said. “I get a lot of encouragement from Bruce, who is a published poet and and singer-songwriter.”

The Times is offering local readers a chance to share their poetry amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. To contribute, email times@theday.com.