5)Tidings by James Metelak

I’m starting to, believe the ocean’s much like you...

Comfort

Warmth

The deep inhales and exhales

The floodwaters rise and they recede

The planets align for a moment but again

Go their separate ways

The world is on fire, but then the desert blooms

And the Sequoias seed

The hurricanes come

And eventually someone comes to tow away the barge

On your lawn.

Diseases plague us

And then fade into the background

This too shall pass.

There is no cocoon or womb to hold us,

We like lighthouses against the storm,

Are battered, bruised, afraid, and frustrated

The news, bringing tidings of divisions and war

Rage, separations, and lockdown orders.

You too shall pass

And you hope it’s not the cough come to get you

But you feel the sting, why weren’t the others so lucky?

Emmanuel rings a little hollow

When you’re alone for five weeks

And you still can’t breathe normally;

Virtual realities become normalities and

And I miss hugs.

 

Saturn and Jupiter dance in the sky

But all our dancehalls are closed.

We brush up against so many

Who are feeling under the weather--

But when it rains, you can grab an umbrella

Or dance in it,

And when it snows you can build castles

Or cuddle up indoors.

Each year the hurricanes come,

And the important part is not how strong they are

But how we weather them

How we respond.

When the wave comes, you can duck under, jump over, 

Try to ride it or let it give you a twirl, but you

Can’t stop the waves from coming.

So if you find yourself isolated.

Alone.

Stressed.

Hurting.

Sure, reach out, fix what you can.

But take this time as an invitation…

And invitation to slow down, mourn, rest.

And invitation to write, to paint, to sing.

To write letters to the ones you’ve lost touch with.

To work on  those projects you’ve been thinking of doing.  

Or not.

Or find a front line and start fighting for people in need.

And to those of you who are fighting…

It’s okay.
It’s going to be okay.

This storm will pass.

A new year is coming,

And whether it is better or worse...

Is a decision that's yours to make.

The year is 2020,

And I have seen

Such sunrises and sunsets,

Love bursting through the seams, weddings whose joy

Could not be robbed by mask orders or social distancing

Or even being capped at 16.

I have seen people around the globe

Reaching out to those left without work and hungry

I have seen teachers whose love for their students shines through

The sometimes farce of online teaching

And doctors and nurses giving their lives,

Risking their lives

To try and save a few.

I have seen communities and friends who in love

Gather around each other

And others who in love maintain their distance.

We are navigating uncharted waters, I mean,

Theoretically, every flu season,

Our cough could kill someone,

But we as a species are wrestling with huge responsibility

And our responses are many, and varied

And we mostly try to do our best, and

Try to maintain our humanity.

 

It’s Christmas, and

If there’s a God,

I believe He is with us.

Laughing and crying with us.

In this.

In all of it.

I wish the religious folks got that because if they did

They wouldn’t need politicians to validate them

Nor would they feel threatened by those who don’t

See them.

The manger story is a story of a human race

Loved.

Seen.

Embraced in its entirety

“The hungry He has filled with good things.”

His favour rests on humanity

And His word is peace.

 

Believe me, I hear you

I see the Hondurans on their rooftops,

And the Armenians and Azerbaijanis at each other’s throats

I see the Uighurs and the Belarusians imprisoned and the racism

And the rapists acquitted and

The callousness and corruption of those in power.

I hear the conspiracy theories.

But there is still 

So

Much

Joy.

 

Feel free to re-celebrate Thanksgiving,

To go back and count your blessings.

Yes beloved, you have lost

And you are going to lose everything.

Every peak and valley eventually flatlines

Into the sea.

But it’s a wonderful life

And the views from those peaks!

And oh, the things we find in those valleys!

You can count it all as loss or try to analyze

The ups and downs and see which one comes out on top

But I think that misses the point of breathing.

So put up your lights.

Sing out loud.

Dance, even if it’s in your living room by yourself.

Play games.

Give thanks.

Write letters.

Make cookies.

Celebrate.

Taste and see.

Life is today.

Joy is today.

And joy is here. 

 

 

 

*****
James Metelak is a poet, activist, singer-songwriter, and photographer based in Central Asia.  His 2 books of poetry are available on Amazon Kindle, his music is available on Bandcamp, and his photography is on Instagram.