APOCALYPTIC 2020:: CRISIS TO TRAGEDY

By Saundra T. Russell RN MA RDN

A book of poetry, spoken word and poetic prose highlighting Life and You, the major events of 2020, including Coronavirus/COVID-19, the Elections, Race, Social Unrest, MBP (Murder By Police), BLM (Black Lives Matter), and Protests, highlighting George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664153301

Saundra T. Russell RN MA RDN

Hello, my name is Saundra, aka StaR (my initials). I am a registered nurse, registered dietitian nutritionist, and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (with a master’s degree from NYU). I am also a certified image consultant, an Ordained Minister, and an Advanced Toast Master. I am a multi-award-winning published poet; Poet of the Month, Poet of the Year, and Best Poet for ten years are some. Despite having lifelong dyslexia, I am in the PoetryFest Hall of Fame. I have published three books; PTSD: Putting the Story Down is one of them for which I have done three radio interviews Kate Delaney [America Tonight], Dr. Angela Butts Chester [Spark radio]) and Susan Sherayko (Rebuilding Your Life Radio; Author and Producer) Living with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and lifelong dyslexia, I have found some relief and comfort in writing poetry. I have been married to my Italian- American husband, Peter Tesoriere (also a registered nurse), for twenty-five years.

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Copyright © 2021 by Saundra T. Russell RN MA RDN.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/30/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

823391

CONTENTS

In The Beginning

Covid-19, aka Coronavirus

Elections

Uplifting Poems

Poems To Think About

Star Inspiration

In The Beginning

Run to the rescue with

LOVE

and

PEACE

will follow!

P OETRY IN BLOOM

Plant a seed in the garden

See the flowers come...

Then the bloom may arrive

To see this happen is a lot of fun

Plant a topic seed

In your creative mind...

A poem will begin to bloom

As your thoughts be hopeful and kind

Wordsmith your thoughts

Which are special to you...

The resulting poem is very special

To each of your readers too

Beauty is beauty is beauty

No matter if poem or flower...

They both are very beautiful

And they both can hold great power

Poetry in Bloom

Make it a compilation of many a colorful word....

Transform this garden of varied blooms

Into a poem of varied words that has yet to be heard!

L OVE IS THE ANSWER

Help one another

As much as you can…

Love is the answer

For every woman and man

Love brings a good feeling

Of intense joy...

When it is given from the heart

To every girl and boy

Love can bloom

Where it is planted...

It is a virtue that should not be

Taken for granted

Love one another

It is the golden rule...

Do not overlook a situation

When someone is being cruel!

F OUR STATES OF EMOTIONS

Happiness

Sadness

Fear

Anger

BELIEVE!

Ask and you will receive!

F RIENDSHIP IS

A million little things

Where light shines

The family you choose

Telling you not to buy the pants

Love

Having conversations

Being willing to listen

A person you can trust

Being there

Holding hands when needed

Trust

Believing

The journey

The passion…

K INDNESS

Kindness is powerful

In what you say and do...

It is also powerful

In what is not said too

Body language is significant and

Facial expressions evokes a query...

We must always be very careful

Our gestures do not incite what is not merry

Being kind to everyone you meet

To you, I will happily advise...

Kindness helps everyone

It makes us happy and wise

We all will begin to be kindred spirits

With kindness and tolerance of others...

The world will realize the love and peace

From our sisters and our brothers

Kindness negates bullying

And rudeness across the board…

Kindness eliminates apologies

Because kindness brings blessings from the Lord

Know that each day

We get the gift...

Bodies healing and

Hearts revealing uplift

You’ll be an angel for the ages

Being loving and kind...

Giving the best you can give

The best angel one can find!

T HE FUTURE KEY

The future is the key

Less about me

More about we

To me it’s about thee

The way it must be

Or we’ll have to pay the fee

Can you not see!

T HE NEW NORMAL

It has been made aware to me

As I was quietly thinking one day

Due to the Coronavirus aka COVID -19

We now have a new normal to live by

We must wear a face mask when we are going out

It must cover the nose and the mouth

It must be made of two to three layers of material

That the sun cannot be seen through

During this COVID pandemic

These are a good addition

Gloves that are designated an option to wear

But they are good to prevent the Coronavirus illness

Take out and Carry out your food that you ordered

By telephone or on the computer

The same goes for buying furnishings, clothing and shoes

It is like going back from the future!

W hAT-WHAT OF THE TIMES

Social distancing doesn’t mean not communicating with

One another, that’s not fun, be it father or mother..

Physical distancing is what is intended

A six feet space must be between each other

Forget about going low tech:

As in people going face to face...

OK go high tech: zoom, social media, texting,

Face Time and emails should be put in place

Telephone calls and letter writing

Oh what fun...

That’s how our past generations

Historically got it done!

O RDER ON THE COMPUTER AND GET IT DELIVERED

Order on the computer or the

mobile device

And get it delivered, what fun...

When the order finally comes

The completed transaction has

been done

Opening the delivery during the pandemic STAY AT HOME order

And sorting through the things...

The joy, the excitement

The delivery brings

But getting surprise packages

Always bring so much joy...

To the recipient

Be it man or woman, girl or boy!

L OOKING IN THE MIRROR - WHO ARE YOU

First look at thyself

Then look at everyone else...

Who do you see

Again look at yourself

Do you see yourself as you are

Or do you see yourself as you wish to be...

What are you in whom you see

Are you whom you do see

Look again

Do you see...

Who you are

Or do you see thyself as thee!

NOTE TO SELF:

Racism will not change me!

W HAT IS HAPPENING ?

Easter Sunday 2020

Not only is Coronavirus still around...

Tornadoes reared up again

Deaths from coronavirus in New York above six hundred; however,

Admissions did continue to trend

Down

When will this evil end

When will normalcy be restored...

The litany ‘Stay ay Home’

Young and old now getting bored

Disasters and death all around

School closures and job closures remain...

People out of work and the economy in a downturn

Will missing school result in future generations facing the same!

W HAT IS THIS MYSTERIOUS DISEASE

Something ugly has hit the kids

That makes some very sick...

It takes the lives of some of them

Why the children does it pick

This illness hurts or kills the kids

And affects the loved ones too...

What is this illness, we don’t know

It may affect a child close to you

Is it related to Coronavirus

Also known as COVID -19...

It causes arterial inflammation

Affecting the heart, killing the baby, child or teen!

T HE WORLD ECONOMY IS NOT LIKE A LIGHT SWITCH TURNING OFF AND ON

In order for us to meet

Proposed metrics that are not resting...

We do need more

Widespread Coronavirus testing

It must also include

Asymptomatic populations...

And a more robust contact-tracing program

In order to open up any and all nations

Opening up the economy too soon could lead to many problems

Restarting the economy too soon with COVID-19...

Could be more disastrous than waiting

The worst disaster the world has

ever seen!

T HE COVID ECONOMIC FORECAST AND IMPACT

Stay at home

Means don’t go to work...

Businesses close as a result

Insuring the economy’ll be hurt

Daily we watch the DOW

Going down, down, down...

This affects businesses

And investors in every town

The stock market is an indicator

Of what will lie ahead...

The economic forecast

Not the report of those who are COVID dead!

I N THE AGE OF COVID - 19

Many people have to

Work, Teach and Parent..

All at the same time

To buy food, educate their children and to pay the rent

During this time of

The new normal, all must abide...

Wearing masks are a must

When we venture to go outside

Everyone must continually

Wash their hands...

And between each of them

Keep at a six feet distance!

C OVID STIMULUS AND KINDNESS

The Federal stimulus

Would you say it is enough...

The market, the money, the packages for companies

Or is it meant to make us kind or make us tough

The entertainment, the prayers,

The kind gestures and the donations...

The comments, the bloopers and the news all day

Around the world because this virus is in all nations

Always be kind to think of others

Whatever you may say or do...

And be mindful when making purchases

Because kindness may come back to you!

S TAY HOME

Stay home

That is an order...

Stay connected, even while across the border

Everyone - cover your face

Your nose and your mouth...

When in the