(Not) An Ode to Covid

By: Anna Jadow

A mom with three kids – I was practically dizzy 

Whether rushing to baseball or wiping a tear 

Life was so hectic, that much was clear 

Pick-ups and drop-offs, logistical woes 

Running a family is not all rainbows 

Typical mom stuff, some fun some a drag  

Trust me when I say it’s no fun to nag 

Fresh produce and proteins graced our kitchen 

No thoughts were devoted to canned food provisions 

We used paper towels like they grew on trees 

And handfuls of tissues if anyone sneezed 

But then Covid struck and we needed to hide 

From people and germs - we were scared for our lives 

We Purell’ed our hands and we covered our faces 

We wiped down our mail and avoided shared spaces

We scooped up the Charmin, we grabbed lots of pasta 

And would you believe it – a shortage of Matzah! 

At home watching Fauci with no end in sight 

I kept eating and eating, and now look a fright  

At first it was cozy, under one roof all day  

Hubby was helpful, in every way 

He cooked and he shopped, risking his health for ours  

He played with the kids and he watered the flowers 

Nothing else mattered if our family was healthy  

We slowed down our lives, our good health made us wealthy  

But after a month we were climbing the walls 

We all missed our friends, the kids missed playing ball 

And the noise in our house – you can’t even imagine 

24/7 like a stampede of stallions 

“Please stop your screaming, just for a sec!

Were you guys always such pains in the neck?” 

Of course I still loved them, so much I could boast  

But people need breaks from the ones they love most 

Why do you think that schools were created? 

You can stay home and still get educated 

And it would be great if my husband could go 

Back to his office, though I love him so 

It’s just that we’re crammed in a New York apartment 

And calls about spreadsheets are not my department 

A year into Covid, my to-do list has changed  

It feels like I’m checking for fevers all day 

With constant appointments for PCR tests 

It’s blowing my mind that we’re not through this yet

But wait – there is hope, in the form of a shot 

Jump on a website to reserve your spot 

Our kids need to go back to in-person learning 

And I need a month by myself – what a journey