Joining Together at a Distance, a poem by Catherine Murphy, 11

Joining Together at a Distance

Catherine Murphy, 11

We were not expecting this blow to our lives.
Each one of us tired of being stuck inside
Reaching out to shake a hand could mean someone would die
Even when the first U.S. case was identified

Inside was where we wished to hide.
Now, as this is nationwide

Together we must sanitize,
Help each other and become unified
In this together until this subsides.
Still it continues to intensify

This is the time we must listen to the qualified
Or suffer the consequences of it being defied
Getting together is not to even be tried
Everyone we must remind
This is not a time to be disinclined
Hard though, when it comes to social distancing that is not fine
Everyone is going through the same ride
Remember to stay on the bright side.

This poem is written to be read vertically, as well as horizontally. If you are reading on a narrow screen, you can pick out the first letters of the first lines, in bold.