I’m one of the odd ones.
COVID outed my vulnerability, despite my age
My shield is heavy, it weighs a tonne
Forgotten for a while, neglect turned to rage
Then they remembered us.
We went from all to nothing, then back again
In less time than it took for all our ‘normal’ friends.
If only we could ‘pause’
The crippling anxiety, despair and fear
Every time someone comes too near.
Get back out! Enjoy the summer! Go back to work!
Gather outside in socially distanced revelry!
But I’ve still got that shield
And it’s still heavy.
I’m with my friends, with my family, but alone
Watching them get close, too close
Acts I can’t condone
So more than ever, I’m the odd one out
Alone in company, socially isolated, distanced by my own fear and doubt.
I’m watching, on the periphery
My peers who have never truly
Ever had to face their own mortality
Everyone else, secure, in their little bubble
What I wouldn’t give… for just a little cuddle.
