Covid Chrysalis

Less charming than Eric Carle’s
Very Hungry Caterpillar,
I have eaten my way
Through endless headlines
And news stories on the pandemic.
Wrappers of countless atomic fireballs,
Peanut M&Ms, and various crumbs
Are also piled around me.
Now, bloated and over-full
Of bad news with no end in sight,
I retreat into myself.
Self-isolated, time slows to a crawl,
Days lose their names.
It feels like all my mental supports
Have melted leaving mush inside.
Grief bubbles like a catalyst
Through my liquified interior,
Mourning the loss of normal
When I could venture out
And celebrate the touch of many hands,
Breathe in air that had mixed with other’s without fear.
This state will resolve into a new form,
The remodeling has already begun.
But what will emerge remains shrouded.