The poem below is a satirical piece

Written by a poet with too much time on his hands

Coviditis is something created purely as an entertainment piece
Caution is advised to those that do not have a sense of humor

Coviditis is a condition brought on during a pandemic due to prolonged use of mask wearing, social distancing, constant hand washing or sanitizing, testing, self or other, as well as self-isolating, shutdowns, travel restrictions, vaccine shortages, vaccine line ups, vaccine hesitancy and antivaccers.

For those with children locked out from attending school and suddenly becoming teachers at large there maybe additional conditions of the ailment

Symptoms that you may have Coviditis include but are not limited to:

Feeling pent up and wanting to visit family and friends

High stress levels, we recommend home blood pressure kits for self-testing

The urge to put a strangle hold on children or small animals

Temper tantrums like when you were a two year old

Wanting to work from home  to become a hermit and take up hoarding as a hobby

Binge watching reruns of “I Love Lucy”

For those on the edge this could lead to episodes of “Divorce Court”

Exceeding speed limits including road rage and road racing in parking lots

The need to station yourself near hospitals with your protest poster at the ready

Clock watching while waiting anxiously for the pandemic to be over

Treatments
Generally speaking a return to normal is the  best cure for Coviditis
When this is not available we suggest getting normal amounts of rest

Reduce alcohol and leisure drug use (unless prescribed by a health care professional)

Counting to 100 when the urge comes to place choke holds on others

Reduce speeds especially in school zones, truckers should avoid borders or capitals

Take up yoga, Tai Chi or complete regular exercise to offset stuffing feelings with food

Constant hugging of spouses, children, parents, through fist pumps is recommended

Hugging complete strangers in desperation is a no, no

If conditions become worse we recommend zooming
your family physician, Psychologist, Psychiatrist or
Podiatrist, as you may need a good pair of shoes when you want to run away

Also have a travel agent on speed dial, booking two years in advance for you next trip  may make you feel better and lead to something called “hope”

In extreme situations visit the emergency department at the hospital

Please note do not feed the pigeons or the protestors on your way in

Andreas Simic©

no one knows when it’s our time to go
none has a magnifying glass into tomorrow
do we live in joy or sorrow
or thrive on time that we borrow

yesterday we could have been at play
is our life fully on display
the present is a gift a not to delay
or are we clinging on to stay

what do you do with all your time
do we corporate ladder climb
search out every penny and dime
or write poetry that we make rhyme

have we found that tender squeeze
that turns out to be a tease
and makes our life a breeze
or try to everyone else please

is taking that child out of a cradle
the same as holding a ladle
will there be time to paddle
or do we sit on our hands idle

how else do we joy bring
striding out in nature is that our thing
watching the early morning sun rising
or are we part of a crime ring

where do we get our culture
draw a picture
think about the future
or are we hovering about like a vulture

are we divers
sitting at the side of rivers
roasting on skewers
or have too many shivers

on a long summer’s day will having a beer
bring on friendship and cheer
especially enjoyed with someone dear
or is it all about fear

Andreas Simic©

If you Google it, the search comes up as a dot it is so small
growing up years ago they said the population was 500
but that had to have included the people passing through
for we had an ESSO, Schell, Gulf, BP and Texaco gas station

Being on the way to cottage country we were that stop
far enough from the big city for cottagers to be ready
for a bathroom break and a fill up at the pumps
Crime was something we only read about in the papers

Our claim to fame the lake, and ice fishing
You could drive your car to the island in the dead of winter
passing by fish huts painted in an array of colors
The ice road delineated by trees to avoid getting lost

Sure we had the odd break in at a cottage but nothing
that got our name in the news
Oh, we also had two churches and a one room school house
we arrived when I was in grade two, Miss Mitchell was the teacher

Growing up in those days meant hours playing
If we weren’t swimming, we were future hockey stars
or baseball players, Ian and I at the back of the school
pitcher and hitter challenging each other

Hours upon hours at a time spent with kids from down the street
Sure there were the petty fights but mostly with my brothers,
but what can you expect when you have four boys growing up
each vying to become adult like

Those were, in my mind, the days of innocence
before computers and the world became larger
and the internet allowed you to see it all,
the poverty, the deadliness of war, man’s cruelty

Once a place I wanted to desperately get away from
to get lost in the city, an introvert looking for a place to hide
I now find myself reminiscing of those long lost days
where life was simple and a day could be spent daydreaming

Andreas Simic©

Dear Suicide
You were like my unwanted bride

Left in the rear view mirror of life
Your existence no longer a daily strife

Every once in a while
Returning as if on trial

I’m no longer waiting to end it all
Appreciating each and every “fall”

Your clutch no longer around my throat
Myself having constructed a deep enough moat

For years you were a constant companion
Now left behind with much abandon

You had me convinced I was not good enough
That my life was rough and too tough

Though I miss the mind games played
Freedom from fear has away stayed

As I appreciate each day one at a time
My life is now much more like a poetry rhyme

So don’t come back with your useless thoughts
I’m not looking for any new plots

Farewell I say unto you
You are no longer my glue

Andreas Simic©

You were in the rear view mirror of my life
That one chance encounter to last a lifetime
What a wonderful day it was

Frolicking about the pool two strangers in a foreign land
The ocean waves beckoning us to foray into unknown territory
Sea urchins, star fish, and shells waiting for us to join them in dance

The heat of the day matching the rising temperatures in my heart
Overhead the sun baking our skin like a toaster set on high
Glances were exchanged but only for a moment

For any lasting looks into those deep brown eyes and…
All clean fun our laughter speaking for itself
Until the setting sun and a waiting plane ticket ended it all

Back home my thoughts would return to that day and you
Though I knew the city you lived in I didn’t know your name
Or the street you resided on but the memories remained

Like a haunting which would not go away, a ghost only imagined
On that rare occasion passing through your town
A watchful eye for the woman who now held my heart hostage

But it was for not, the years multiplying like an adding machine
Days would fade into night but not thoughts of you
Of that moment in the sun when all felt perfect

And then…it happened
A twist of fate
A phone call from a friend

A dinner
A date
And everlasting love

Andreas Simic©

Lined up like soldiers

you stand tall and straight at attention

like them you guard humanity

by providing for us

through your shade and ever presence

sometimes in your dress of leaves

other times dormant, asleep but not

though no matter the season or the reason

whether as a heat source or inspiration

as a haven for insects or resting place for birds

the livelihood for a wood pecker or mushrooms

you’re there waiting to fulfill your destiny

Despite man’s insatiable hunger

to mow you down like blades of grass

yet it is the oxygen you provide

which allows us to live another day

the irony of it all

even for the tall

Andreas Simic©

“Everything you ever wanted
Is on the other side of FEAR”
George Addais

you see fear
I see fun

you sense dread
I sense opportunity

you feel loss
I feel recovery

you hate
I love

you believe in the bad
I believe in the good

you think the end
I think the beginning

you touch sorrow
I touch enlightenment

you hear pain
I hear healing

your glass half empty
my glass half full

your life hard
mine a life of ease

your life
my life

Andreas Simic©