Sobia Kiran is a Ph.D. Humanities student at York University, Toronto, Canada. She loves reading, writing and expressing herself in writing poetry, stories and essays. She has published research articles in several journals.
More info about her publications: https://lcwu.academia.edu/SKiran.
Contact: sobiakiran@yahoo.com
Special Collection: Creativity in the Time of the Pandemic 2020>>
The Last Party
What a joy it was!
Having a party with friends
Celebrating the union
Spending nights out
Treats in the hotels
Camping in the parks
Touring the city
New York…
The city bustling with life
What a fun it was!
Little did he know
The slight fever
The mild cough
Would get so rough
Within a week
He couldn’t breathe
Ventilators couldn’t help
Two other friends also suffered
The painful disease…
No longer able to meet
Or
To see one another
Last moments spent alone
Yearning for the loved ones
Till ecstasy of sleep
Changed into death
Daddy! Wake Up
Bold and Brave
In the face of virus
That knows no cure
He fought for life…
Life of others
Those who suffered
Helpless, breathless
Gasping for life
He was on the frontline
Attending his patients
Day and night
Tireless, restless
He could not go home
His daughter would call
“Daddy! I miss you”
“Daddy! Come home”
Working on the frontline
He fought with the knowledge
Of immanent death…
Sooner or later
He would be a martyr
Like many of his colleagues
Who loved and served
but
Became ill and suffered
He could not go home
He suffered silently and alone
Talking with his loved ones
On the phone
Soon this changed
He could not talk on phone
He was on machines
Breathless, speechless
Video call could show a silent face
His daughter begged
His daughter pleaded
“Daddy! Wake up
Daddy! Wake up”
March Break
We planned for long
To visit France
To visit its museums
To enjoy its galleries
To relish its cuisine
To see the Eiffel Tower
We enjoyed our flight
We loved our stay
Every moment
Exhilarating and exuberating
Suddenly!
Things began to change
We had to rush back
In the immanent lockdown
Nothing was the same…
Happiness changed into fear
Vacation into isolation
Social distancing and quarantine
Until the world would get vaccine
The roads got empty
The malls got closed
Dinner parties postponed
Conferences cancelled
Jobs started from home
Education went online
Meetings became virtual
Relations became visual
Everything changed
Formal or casual
In new mode of life