My Second First Communion

Covid 19 turned us upside down

All of us

death, loss and distance

places closed

even churches, even for weekend Mass

or “liturgy” as my sister prefers

That became a TV or computer activity

Months of suffering for a country, for the world

It is still not over however,

Our church opened up

My helmet, my see-through shield that kept sliding

Too high, too low

A flowery mask my mother’s friend made

Gloves to cover my hands

Hand sanitizer for when I took the gloves off

I don’t doubt I looked silly, even out of place

Tears flowed, A dark night was over for me

For now

After months of spiritual loneliness

I received a second First Communion