Thursday, March 12, 2020

Coronavirus (Poem)



Coronavirus

            for Crystal Hardin
                        and parishioners of Christ Church Georgetown


Where do we go
once the gates lock,
the churches close

our fists full
of spring’s purple irises
daffodils and pansies

to flower the now-covered cross
we’ll raise again
on Easter

We had been praying
in our houses of worship
so much

shuttered against the unseen
Our planes fly empty
but our borders are manned

We who have called
down upon us
this plague

just ask

There is no one
to tell us
how long 

________________________________

Crystal Hardin is a priest at Christ Church Georgetown (Washington, D.C.). I first met her when, as part of her training to be a priest, she served with us at my parish, St. Michael's Episcopal (Arlington, VA). Yesterday, in response to the pandemic, all Episcopal churches in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia were closed for two weeks as part of a call to cancel events anywhere where large groups of people might gather. Christ Church had already been quarantined by the coronavirus outbreak in the District. See the following articles:

https://www.christchurchgeorgetown.org/community/news/this-week

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/09/dc-priest-with-coronavirus-leads-prominent-historic-episcopal-parish/