Still, life goes on,
cheerfully as before,
the three small bushes
fronting our house
are coming into bloom—
our first spring here,
so new to us.
We watch their green leaves
sprout, witnessing again
the miracle of spring,
knowing that what is continues,
anew, renewed,
to flow and flower again,
for us to trust that we
are not done,
that a virus can only
slow us down,
not eliminate us
as it seems bent on doing—
What is the lesson to carry
away from all of this:
ask and answer and question
but do not give up.
David Kherdian, 2020