An evocative poem on the Pandemic, with a great sweep and depth, by Sunil, exclusively for Different Truths.

A collection of a pulse oximeter, a thermometer, and a vaporizer. a BP machine
On the side table.
 
The daily reality of the
screaming headlines/statistics: chilling print, TV, social media. forwarded
messages, videos, phone-discussions.
 
For a mind in search for succor, a consoling
Camus
Daniel Defoe
Some Hollywood flicks
Or their reruns.
 
Ayurveda – alternative system of healing.
Pills.
Prayers.
Fear – collective, individual; national; global.
COVID-19.
Echoes of the Great Plague, London, 1665.
Deaths
Discharged.
A seesaw of loss and hope.
 
Politics.
Migrations.
Surviving the days/nights
and an enduring wish for a pandemic-free
country/world,
for a humane and just treatment by the
hospitals…no inflated bills, please!
 
… a deep
desire to recoup
recover
autonomy
agency
locomotion
across open borders
and welcoming communities sans labels!
 
... another prayer for the decent policies for public health infra
And genuine, non-populist care by the pompous states
and
strong leaders sans their vote banks!

Visuals by Different Truths

Dr. Sunil Sharma

A humble word-worshipper: catcher of elusive sounds, meanings and images. Published 27 creative and critical books— joint and solo. A winner of, among others, the Panorama Golden Globe Award-2023, and, Nissim Award for Excellence-2022 for the novel Minotaur. His poems were included in the prestigious UN project: Happiness: The
Delight-Tree: An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry, 2015.
Editor of the monthly Setu journal (English):