poems for friends

Here it is with a second stanza by Caroline Donnola and a third by Gail Peck; and a fourth by Alice Rydel:

Be passive, be quiet 

Stay home.

Don’t talk to a neighbor;

Ride the elevator alone

Let’s defy this new custom
of averting our eyes
when passing each other
as if to disguise
that we are all hurting
and ache to empathize

Be creative and warm
It won’t cause any harm
Find a way to connect
That’s unusual and direct

Be aggressively kind

Go for walks and smile at others doing the same

Talk on the phone, on Zoom, by email, six feet away, by whatever

Go on your balconies, porches, open your windows

Clap, cheer, clang on pots with all your neighbors around the world