This rather sad lyric fits pretty neatly into the old barbershop quartet tune “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” It talks about all the things we miss most during the pandemic, or during any chaotic time when we can’t enjoy our lives fully and in the company of those we love. Thanks for coming by to read!
How I long for gourmet,
In this home-bound, lonesome year.
How I long for pleasure,
Now the pain of life is here.
How I long to smile again
And fill the world with cheer.
How I long to hear your singing,
Ringing in my ear.
How I long to join a crowd
In one collective laugh.
How I long to face, embrace you,
Be your better half.
How I long for smoother waters
Further from the storm.
How I long to take a different
Shape, a different form.
How I wish this wretched world
Would right itself again.
How it wobbles on its axis,
Squabbling in the din.
Long with me, in silent song,
And wish with me, a hymn:
Permit me this–a purloined kiss–
and let me live again.
Copyright 2021 Andrea LeDew
For a circle of life poem, read Compost.
Love it! Longing doesn’t express the grief I’ve witnessed in some for true companionship again.
Very true. One of the ways we cope with crisis is togetherness. It is especially hard to endure for those who are forced to do it alone.
But even for those who have a relatively safe “bubble” of supportive people in their circle and can see them regularly, there is a hesitation, there is a worry. And the quality, length and depth of the interaction and relationship suffers.
I recently heard that the birthrate in the US is likely to go down in response to this crisis, as opposed to an event like 9/11, when it went up.
Heres an article from a few months ago predicting 300,000 fewer births, if not an even greater number. It also mentions that in the past, a 1% drop in unemployment by itself has resulted in a 1% drop in birthrate.
A similar drop in birthrate to ours, possibly driven by fear of disease and reactions to its repercussions, like lack of child care and school, occurred during the 1918 flu pandemic. The official figures for 2020 will be out later in the year in the US. Apparently this phenomenon is playing out worldwide. And who knows how many breakups and divorces have been accelerated by the current state of stress.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/12/17/the-coming-covid-19-baby-bust-update/amp/
that was wonderful – and the truth and sadness of this situation was only ameliorated by your gift for prose
and praying for the many who really in the depth of suffering right now
and hoping the world
“Would right itself again”
Thank you priorhouse. Such a lovely comment. May you be well
😊☀️