“Covid Thank U” © Bonnie Matthews Brock

Mother’s Day 2020

I cut the pear too soon
A mistake that can’t be undone
I missed my morning walk
When will I know this is over?

A mistake that can’t be undone
Summer heat arrives
When will I know this is over?
Another birthday, anniversary, major holiday

Summer heat continues
Another cardboard box broken down to recycle
Another birthday, our anniversary at home
Do I really want to see friends outside Zoom?

Another on-line delivery and cardboard box to recycle
Remember to wash my mask, wash my hands
Do I really want another work Zoom meeting?
It’s too early to re-open anything

Remember the social distancing on a patio?
I drop off a loaf of bread for Mother’s Day to my niece
It’s too early to re-open anything except my car trunk
Another email to shop now for future airline miles

I make a Mother’s Day card for my niece
One mistake and you or someone you love could be dead
Another email to shop now “we are working hard to support you”
You order take-out pizza and we eat on our patio

One mistake and you or someone you know dies
I did my morning walk
We enjoy take-out pizza on our patio
I cut the pear too soon.

Jules Nyquist is the founder of Jules’ Poetry Playhouse in Placitas, New Mexico, a place for poetry and play with writing classes and retreats. In the pandemic we have moved our readings and classes online. Jules took her MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College, VT. Her latest award-winning books are Zozobra Poems, 2019 NM/AZ Book Award winner in philosophy and Homesick, then, 2018 NM/AZ Book Award winner in poetry. She has been interviewed in print, on line and on the radio by most recently, KUNM’s Women Folk (Albuquerque), KJZZ’s International Women’s HERstory (Tucson). Her latest projects are a collection of her own sestinas with sestina writing exercises to help other poets, the Sestina Playbook. Jules has been widely published and is co-editor of the Poets Speak series with the award-winning HERS anthology. She founded Poetry Playhouse Publications, along with her husband John Roche, to publish poets that have that unique sense of play and creativity in their poetry.

Bonnie Matthews Brock is a Florida-based photographer, as well as a school psychologist. Her images have been published in Ibbetson Street Press, The Somerville Times, and Oddball Magazine.