Covid Blues

Covid has struck.

It took four years, almost to the day, after lockdown,

before Covid invaded my body and settled in.

I thought my O-neg. blood type protected me.

I was Covid cautious, wearing a mask outdoors,

wearing a mask indoors among strangers.

I took every booster, and none of them caused a problem.

But one night I felt so tired it was worth recording

in my journal. I thought the hit of sugar from a piece

of pie I ate late was to blame.

Next morning I had a sore throat (common symptom),

fever (common symptom), cough (common symptom),

fatigue (common symptom).

At-home Covid rapid test said “positive.”

I’ve taken multiple Covid tests over the past four years,

and this was the first positive one.

This is a positive no one wants.

My doctor said to take Paxlovid.

I need a special, kidney-friendly Paxlovid, 

which was hard to find and to be delivered.

My usual pharmacy no longer carries any Paxlovid.

Eventually, I got it, started taking the two pills

twice a day.

It stopped the common Covid symptoms,

but it caused diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

I could still taste and smell, but more than two bites

of food made me feel like a stuffed goose.

I lost five pounds I don’t need to lose.

It’s been two weeks since Covid took over my body.

It wears me out, makes me want to sleep all day.

Covid doesn’t want to leave.

I keep testing positive.

I want to be positive, but not Covid positive.

Covid, begone!

SOLTuesday: Third Booster Adventure

I saw my doctor in early September for a checkup. The third booster was due to arrive the following week, and he said I should get it as soon as I could. A few days later, however, I had my usual cold symptoms of scratchy throat, achy chest, and runny nose, and when I called him to check, he said to wait until my symptoms had gone away. This turned out to be more than three weeks, during which I had two Covid tests (both negative) and continued to wear my mask outdoors.

            Finally, I thought I was recovered and called a nearby community clinic to make an appointment for the third booster. At that point, the next available opening was two weeks away, Oct. 17. Not great, but better than none at all.

            Then, last week, I got a voicemail saying I would have to reschedule. When I called back to reschedule, the scheduling people knew nothing about the clinic needing to reschedule; their data showed only that I’d been sent a text confirming my Oct. 17 appointment. This was very confusing. I listened again to the voicemail, and the young man was definitely saying I had to reschedule.

            So, should I wait until Oct. 17, show up at the clinic, and then be told whatever it was that was causing them to want me to reschedule? Or should I find another way?

            I called my independent pharmacy, downtown. (My local pharmacies also had boosters, but even when I’d made an appointment for earlier boosters, there’d been a long line. I didn’t want to do that again.) When I called, I was told I had to make my appointment online. And hurrah, when I went online, there was one open time the next day which I could make. Friday, Oct. 14, I took the subway downtown, got the shot, waited the requisite 10 minutes, and went home. No reaction to the vaccine, other than the usual sore arm from the needle.

            I am now triple-boosted. Still haven’t gotten Covid. Feel very lucky.

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It’s Slice of Life Tuesday over at Two Writing Teachers. Check out this encouraging and enthusiastic writing community and their slices of life every Tuesday. And add one of your own.

 

May Golden Shovel poem #11

source: Ready or Not, It’s Covid the Musical

 

He’s auditioning for a role, whether he’s ready

for the political world or

It is ready for him. He is not

Your usual politician. He believes it’s

Not too late to smash the pandemic of covid.

He has a plan for recovery of the

Economy, by giving everyone a part in a musical.

 

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I’m continuing to use Terrance Hayes’s Golden Shovel poem format, as proposed by the Sunday New York Times "At Home" section, for 30 Poems in 30 Days during National Poetry Month.

 

Take a newspaper headline that attracts you.

Use each word in the line as the end word for each line in your poem.

Keep the end words in order.

Describe the story that the headline is for.

The poem does not have to be about the same subject as the headline that creates the end words.

 

30/30: Golden Shovel poem #12

source: Beyond Covid’s Turmoil, Race Wealth Gap Lingers

 

When he went into the great beyond,

He missed the communal fear of covid’s

Fingertips, the masked and the unmasked in turmoil

Over safety and freedom from, freedom to, a race

To self-righteousness he would not have run, his wealth

Of reason no barrier to the gap

Between gullibility and cynicism, a darkness that lingers.

 

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Here is how I am using Terrance Hayes’s Golden Shovel poem format, as proposed by the Sunday New York Times "At Home" section, for 30 Poems in 30 Days during National Poetry Month.

 

Take a newspaper headline that attracts you.

Use each word in the line as the end word for each line in your poem.

Keep the end words in order.

Describe the story that the headline is for.

The poem does not have to be about the same subject as the headline that creates the end words.