Written by Lauren Reyes-Grange and me, in a fit of stay-at-home induced madness. Our apologies for breaking all the rules of verse:
This stay at home thing and the boredom it brings
Could make a sane gal a real misfit
I like my home, don’t get me wrong
But I’d like a brief chance to miss it.
I know it is right, it’s a mighty big fight
To flatten the curve we are facing
So, home we will stay, keep Covid at bay
And practicing 6-feet of spacing.
I’ve never “spring cleaned” so completely
Or folded my laundry so neatly
We must sound like a family of bores
Fighting over who gets to clean the floors.
Days stuck at home could make you rant
While wearing elastic-waist pants
20 days now since I last wore my jeans
Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem.
Yes, there’s cooking, there’s baking,
There are crafts to be making
And the following day
There are leaves to be raking.
Now as the days blur into nights,
And the nights turn back into days
Our home looks littered with now-empty boxes
Of all the snacks we have grazed.
But let’s say thanks for “at home” time gained
Knowing that many aren’t so lucky
Their work is essential, and they can’t complain
Even days when they’re not feeling plucky
God bless all of the frontline workers
And all of the work that they do
Please keep them well, please keep them safe
In their efforts to see us all through.
We must do our part in this very great fight
And while we might wish we could roam
Let’s pay with the small tasks to keep us alive
Social distance and staying at home.
Cynthia Reyes 
Thank you Cynthia and Lauren.
“Haven’t worn a bra in days….” — you could fit that line in!
That too! Truth is, we go through moments of being frightened. The news from Ontario’s projections isn’t so good.
I’m sorry to hear that Ontario’s projections aren’t good.
Compared to other countries, it’s not terrible, but still scary numbers.
Thank you Cynthia &Lauren!❤️❤️❤️
Hope you and the family are all well and safe. It’s a scary time.
Thanks to Cynthia and Lauren, have you heard about the 7 pm worldwide tribute to medical professionals? I am playing a long game of musical plants….
Thanks for sharing. A nice gesture in a bad situation. Italy has lost at least 71 doctors so far, with many, many more testing positive. It’s incredibly sad.
71! that is heart stopping and I have not heard that statistic. i have a blog friend in Italy, they have really closed it down. Praying that works for everyone.
The Globe and Mail’s senior correspondent in Rome said that on CBC Radio and I was shocked! Italy at one point was my second home and I feel for the people there.
Oh, me too, Cynthia. I did Studies Abroad near Florence in the 80s.. I think things are being underreported here..
Yes. And the journalist said one of Italy’s biggest problems was the people who are asymptomatic. Disease carriers in plain sight, infecting many others without knowing.
Geez.. did you see the Governor of Georgia being lambasted for not knowing about that? The Center for Disease Control is there..
It’s a shame so many have to die to wake people up to the cost of unfettered greed and uncaring attitudes to others less fortunate. We are all connected.
Yes, that is a good comment on what is going on here. When it’s very clear what we should do.
Good to hear from you both, Cynthia and Lauren! It is getting harder for me to know what day of the week it is anymore.
I did get all my new strawberry plants in to the garden safely tucked under a couple of mini-greenhouse enclosures. The fruit trees are slowly opening their blooms.
Excellent. Over here, we lost track days ago. We go through bouts of trying to keep ourselves busy, making up crazy jokes and verses, and trying to not be frightened by the evolving news. The garden is a reprieve from it all. No wonder it was used to symbolize paradise in ancient texts.
I can see from several bloggers I follow how much of a reprieve the garden is during this time.
It’s a blessing, especially after our long Canadian winter.
Our trees are finally starting to bud.
Such a great post! So cleverly written. I identify, too. 🙂
Thanks, Theresa! How are you?
Snug as a bug! 😉
Thank you both. The birds woke me this morning! There is hope! Thank God for our modern day heroes – our front line workers of every ilk!
I don’t know how they do it, Paula. It must be like going into war!
In this crazy time breaking all the rules on verse seems appropriate. I’m going to share it with a group of my girlfriends, I know they will appreciate it as much as I did.
Thanks, Karen! Stay safe — and well!
A lovely thank you to all those frontline workers everywhere. And yes you are summing houses up world wide. Stay safe and well
You too! Please.
Loved the post, thank you. I’m on day 19 except for three trips to the grocery store with mask and gloves. Life as we all knew it has been cancelled until further notice. Here in NH, the current date is May 4, but I’m not holding my breath.
My sister will sew some cotton masks as a donation to a local hospital. The strange thing is that I’ve been obsessing on my lost skill of sewing, and thinking of making masks. Then she tells me she will be. And I said, “It’s like how women used to knit socks for soldiers at war.”
Dear Cynthia, what a wonderful way to express what we’re all going through. Yup, folding laundry neater than ever.
Blessings as we all flatten the curve ~ Wendy Mac
Blessings, dear Wendy. Thank you.
Amen!
Very cute poem! Love it. The home looks lovely!
Thanks! Home is nice. We have to get our poetic rhythm one of these days.
Hear, hear! Brilliantly put All the aspects were hit.
Well done, Cynthia!
Mostly Lauren’s doing, Bette. I specialize in nonsense poetry!
Great collaboration… 🙂
Everyone is getting so creative. I guess we have the time.
A poet who didn’t know it. Fun and profound truth.
No poets here! Just two crazy women trying to overcome some anxious moments. Hope you’re keeping well.
Yes thank you. Glad to have time to watch Spring’s progression.
‘Fighting over who gets to clean the floors’! Made me laugh😊. Sadly, no amount of social distancing has made my house any cleaner…
I must confess to taking poetic licence there, Helen. so far, I’m the only one fighting!
Okay 😊
Well done, you two! I can’t concentrate on anything much so writing verse is definitely out of the question! We are staying at home and being good. We are allowed an hour’s exercise away from home so we have had a couple of walks round the lanes but are mainly staying in the garden. There is plenty to do there. We have to go shopping once a week (we can’t get a delivery slot from any of the supermarkets) and then take groceries to my mother. We don’t look forward to it but it has to be done; I am so worried that I might infect my mother. It is her ninetieth birthday on the 17th April and we would have loved to have given her a special day.
Happy birthday to your dear mother when it comes! I couldn’t write that crazy verse on my own: Lauren did most of it. As you know, mine tend to be extremely silly but I couldn’t even manage that. glad you are getting some exercise. In my post today, I mention going for a walk. Everyone is very polite, Canadian-style, and make a wide berth of each other. Also glad you are busy in the garden! Thank God for gardens. Stay safe, dear Clare. My best to Richard and the family.
Thank you so much, dear Cynthia. My best to Hamlin and your family too.
Blessings.