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/