Response to Promposity May Challenge
Vow To Make Each Day Special
Decide that you will find at least one small thing that makes each day special that puts you at ease or gives you a sense of freedom even to restore a sense of wonder to your life.
There’s no denying it’s been a rough couple of months. Where I live the shelter in place order has been strengthened as the case number and death toll has risen at an ever increasing pace. Thought to have leveled off a few weeks ago, this was shown to be false hope and it seemed the coronavirus was just gathering it’s forces to attack even more fiercely than before.
The pace of new people testing positive for the coronavirus has seemed to have picked up despite the social distancing, quarantine and other protective measures that have been put in place. Police now patrol the streets stopping pedestrians to ensure they are only doing what is necessary, defined as stocking up on food or filling prescriptions they can’t obtain any other way.
I was stopped on my first foray outside my apartment after being ill and again the second time. Even though I was legitimately just going to pick up a few things at the convenience store down the street, the experience of having a police car pull up next to me so they could question my destination and purpose was an unnerving experience.
After it happened the second time I didn’t leave again for more than two weeks. When I did it felt furtive, as if I was in fact, on my way to commit some kind of crime, that being picking up a prescription and some instant coffee.
Though I’ve tried to stay positive, I can’t even say I’m watching life through my window as the streets are empty, there are no more children calling to each other as they get off the school bus and the beach itself has finally become empty of picnickers and birthday parties attendees.
But this morning, upon waking, I realized it’s May Day. Although it’s not something I’ve ever celebrated or even taken notice of, this year looking for anything to mark the progression of time in a positive way, I vowed to find something about the day to make it special. This poem is my response to that effort.
For May Does Bring
Outside my window all shakes off Polished shower of gypsum white The cruel formation of winters rage Which churns the depths to muddy red The waves atop the rusted stretch No longer pounds beleaguered shore Instead the careful blossoms peek Behind the newfold leaves protect A few more weeks to find their pluck To then emerge like blushing cheeks Like princesses just come of age First suitors do they entertain It matters not this year I watch From window panes which separate The perfumed scented air to dance Amidst the warmth so long did wait For nature’s grace transcends supreme To travel into false filled breathes To sanctify with Spring’s delight And light and loosen tightened chest
I challenge Christina M. Ward, Austin Briggman, Zita Fontaine to join me in this challenge.
The prompt can be found here:
Natalie Frank has had her poetry featured in several anthologies including Untimely Frost. Her fiction has been published in Haunted Waters Press, Weirdbook Magazine, Siren’s Call Publications, Lycan Valley Press and Zero Fiction among others. Her collection of poetry, Disguised I Breathe, In Love I Hold, can be found on Amazon under her pen name, Taye Carrol.
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