In some ways the pandemic thwarted my writing progress. Pre-pandemic, I had a steady routine and a solid plan. But low-level stress over the past several months has shaken my routine and caused me to abandon said plan. It’s also caused me to carry a full-size bottle of Lysol in my purse so I can disinfect shopping carts at the grocery store and chairs in the waiting room. Perhaps, this strikes you as overzelous, but this is for your benefit, not mine. Because, if there is anyone out there who is an asymptomatic carrier, I’m pretty sure it’s me.
I’m not very self-aware when it comes to my body. When my appendix ruptured years ago, I decided to go for a stroll so I could walk off what I assumed were stomach cramps. When that didn’t work, I tried drinking water (which cures everything, right?) until my husband made me go to the E.R. I was promptly rushed to the operating room for an emergency surgery. Suffice it to say, my mind-body connection is a little off so consider the Lysol spray a courtesy.
Between the clouds of disinfectant, I am still writing, just not what I hoped to be writing. Currently, my big project is on hold. With the ever-changing news I just can’t maintain the necessary level of engagement to move forward. It’s too hard to sustain focus and the nature of the project demands attention to detail. Anyone else feel this way right now?
However, my poetry collection is coming along nicely and guess what? A poem from the collection was published in the Eastern Iowa Review! The witty Chila Woychik edits the online journal which features lyric essays and poetic prose. So if you need somthing to take your mind off of Covid-19, check it out and don’t forget to read my recent poem about the weather.
Danielle Ann Verwers 