How quickly our perspective changes;
Like fighting children on the playground
arguing over insolent remarks;
Now lined up before the school master
waiting to be disciplined;
Wondering if // and when…
How hard // or how little?
Who even remembers
what the fuss was about?
When we are facing the chalk board
with our life written on it
our past…
our present…
our future…
For now the plague has come.
We all are Egyptians
with no blood on our doorposts;
Waiting to see
if the death angel
will pass us by…
And when this dark night is past
we have a Red Sea to cross.
The promised land awaits
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
At d’Verse, Bjorn asked us to face our present reality of quarantine along with our reflection of past epidemics and the Black Plague of years gone by. Today we are writing a poem using the prompt plague!
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
Roth Poetry 
great poem! …….and a little scary! 🙂
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I have since gone back and added closing lines of hope! It was just too dark.
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Very scary!
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Thank you Liz! It is a rather scary situation we are in.
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yes……….
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I think the essence of this in the rear mirror will be the waiting…
I have heard that war is also mostly waiting.
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I went back and added closing line of hope! It was just a little too dark.
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The current COVID-19 helps us to focus on what is important to us. Unfortunately, I don’t see a Moses leading us to the promised land. We will go back to worshipping false idols as soon as this is over. Insightful poem Dwight…..what was all the fuss before COVID-19…perspective indeed.
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You are right …nothing seems to change in 3000 years~ Thanks Len!
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Perhaps we will get a Joshua instead of a Moses!
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I am solaced by your certainty: “when this dark night is past”
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The sun always rises even behind the clouds. We can only hope for the best in this as well.
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Bang on, we are indeed the Egyptians ?waiting to see if the death angel will pass us by/. Where are the locusts?
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Oh, don’t call for anything else, we are already in deep enough! Thanks Glenn.
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Hopefully we survive the night and cross the Red Sea.
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great scary poem, well done
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Thank you Beth! It is rather grim!
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This part gives me shiver:
Waiting to see
if the death angel
will pass us by…
I can only hope the dark nights will soon be over for all of us. Take care!
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Thank you Grace! Sorry to give you the shivers! It is a scary situation for sure.
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We all look to the Promised Land!
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Yes, one way or the other!
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Ah, the similarities are so similar, aren’t they? Waiting to see…
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Too similar! Makes one stop and think!!
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Oh, wonderfully timely.
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Thank you Xan!
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Perspective is such a fine thing. I love these lines “Who even remembers
what the fuss was about?
When we are facing the chalk board
with our life written on it?”
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Thank you Victoria. Makes our petty differences and political correctness seem rather insignificant!
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Yes, I thought I had a lot to feel angst about last year. Was I ever foolish! Your poem speaks to me – that wondering, will it pass our doorway?
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I am sure it crosses every persons mind! Puts thing into a very real perspective!
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I am bound for the promised land! Either way! I love how you transitioned from facing the chalkboard to facing a red sea!
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Yes! My mind runs in strange ways sometimes!
Thank you Mary!
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yes sad but realistic … let go the pettiness but use the time wisely for either way we will eventually meet our maker!
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That is so true! Thank you Kate.
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I will admit to you….I’ve put off reading the posts to this prompt because I do not want to ignite the fear that I keep trying to bury. I’ve taken up meditation again….and it centers me for the day. I am so glad I waited to read your post so I could see the ending (you evidently added it?) that evokes a positive and hope on the other side of this thing. I look forward to seeing unmasked smiles on the streets…a new sense of humanity.
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Yes, I kind of went to the dark side on this one, but as soon as I posted it, and reread the prompt, I knew I had to move beyond the fear to a point of hope! Thank you for reading it!.
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We are certainly experiencing a plague of biblical proportions! I’m reading through the Bible this year and find your take on this appropriately fitting, Dwight.
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Thank you Lynn! The comparisons are quite interesting.
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The pathos is strong in this one, Dwight! I especially love your biblical allusion:
“For now the plague has come.
We all are Egyptians
with no blood on our doorposts;
Waiting to see
if the death angel
will pass us by…”
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Thank you Frank! I thought the parallels were so right on….
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Nice take on the prompt.
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Thanks Ken! I appreciate your affirmation and your reading a bunch of mine today!
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Wonderful post. I love the lines, “We all are Egyptians, with no blood on our doorposts.” Thank you for writing this.
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Thank you so much! I am glad you connected with it!
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