A walk in the park by Sue Robin

Reading this post from Sue, I am reminded that not only does she use words poetically when she writes prose, but that she is truly a poet. Her book of poems, A Modicum of Solace: One Woman’s Political Despair, was her moving and powerful response to the presidency of Donald Trump. I so appreciate her sharing her vision of the world—inner and outer—with us here.

Facebook Says Trump Can’t Go Back to Shitposting Yet—Daily Beast

Liz Cheney warns Republicans ‘at turning point’ as she faces removal from leadership—The Guardian

Biden administration to support waiving COVID-19 patents—CBS News

May 5, 2021

A walk in the park
by Sue Robin, Los Angeles, California

After languishing in bed with coffee and the paper, we made a plan to walk at Franklin Reservoir. We meander around that hidden lake about once a week. It is a short drive from our home and as we pulled up to the corner where we turn, we noticed something different. It brought tears to my eyes. Tree People had removed their Closed sign! It was the first visual proof of California moving into the Yellow, less restrictive, Zone. I am not naïve enough to think everything is back to normal, but I am hopeful that we have made the intolerable, tolerable in this state, for now.

Midweek is a time when the park has fewer humans. The kiddos are back in school, people are returning to their jobs, and the traffic has returned to pre-pandemic craziness. We were greeted by two quail and a small rabbit, and as we followed the path from one end of the park to the other, we were blessed with constant bird songs and frog calls. The trees are oaks and sycamores, and they line the road we take, arching over the street like a nave in a church. This is truly my spiritual rejuvenation spot. No matter my mood going in, it is always elevated when I leave. The creek murmurs to us as we pass. The turtles sunbathe at the small pond, while the koi swim and grow fat on the bugs. No ducks this trip. They must be on vacation! Perhaps they flew north to avoid the coming summer heat.

Yet with all this peace and beauty, I hold my breath while other cities, states and countries still struggle to contain the COVID 19 virus. My heart breaks at the rising deaths and the unending suffering that circles the globe. Amid this trauma are glimmers of light. The US has signaled its support for the vaccine formulas to be made accessible to all. Germany has developed yet another rather promising vaccine. People from all over the world are sending much needed supplies to India. In the USA, there is a shift from the large cities to smaller distribution sites for the vaccine and an all-out push to teach and inform those people who are fearful about getting vaccinated. It does seem possible that communities will, in time, be able to vanquish this devastating illness.

Now if we could only vaccinate the world from hate…