Kitty O'Meara: In the Time of Pandemic
In the Time of Pandemic
And the people stayed home.
And they listened, and read books, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.
And they listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed.
And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
Discussion Questions
What resonates with you in O’Meara’s poem? What doesn’t?
How have you been changed by your experiences over the last several months? How do you hope to change?
How will you continue to use the lessons of lockdown going forward?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“When lockdown started, I felt that the "new ways of being" people were pushed into were very similar to the experiences many patients with chronic illness had made, and in which they had lived experience.”—OdyO11
“The juxtaposition between being still, and at the same time, doing so much to heal and grow community is what really resonates with me in this poem. For me, reading it over and over again makes me feel lighter and more hopeful.—@natashaabadilla
“What resonated with me was how we "learned new ways of being," though I'm not sure these new ways are all as rosy-coloured as O'Meara paints them to be. Her optimism was inspiring, yet it left me feeling like I was missing a big side of the story”—@LanceShaver
“For me, "healing with" trauma is important to maintain alongside the idea of "healing from" trauma. While the pandemic trauma is ongoing, other healing can become harder, and that's okay. We live with trauma and heal while we still carry it, too.”—@epinborough
“I think I am more aware of the unconscious choices I make and how I could be living more intentionally. Seeing more of my mistakes, cognizant still of how many more I must be missing, I find it easier these days to forgive.”—@anoushkaasinha
About this #MedHumChat
“In the Time of Pandemic” was paired with the poem, “Lockdown” by Richard Hendrick for a #MedHumChat discussion on July 15, 2020 exploring Life in Lockdown.
About the Author
Kitty O’Meara is a retired teacher and chaplain whose poem “In the Time of Pandemic” (also commonly titled “And The People Stayed Home” ) went viral. You can learn more about her in her interview with Oprah Magazine.