After Quarantine Ends

English translation of a poem I wrote in Spanish.

Take a trip. We all need

a change, a break. From ourselves

the house, our spouses, the same

4 rooms. Well, pick a direction

and go. If you find yourself

by chance in New York City,

eat a hot dog, with everything,

from a street vendor in Central Park.

Your life will not have meaning

if you do not. Believe me.

And do not eat sushi bought

in a gas station- are you insane?

You did not survive a pandemic

to die this way. That is like traveling

to Italy to order a hamburger;

or worse, visiting Boston to order

Manhattan clam chowder. God

might not condemn you to hell

but the locals absolutely will. No.

If you eat sushi in New York, look for

a place with a sign whose letters

you cannot read. For real, you should

search out all kinds of food prepared

by a chef who does not speak

your own language, all that well.

Your chapter in the book your children

will write tomorrow depends on

your spirit of adventure, today.

Quarantine is just a good excuse.

 

 

Reviews

[Corset]

Comfort food is the end all be all of this quarantine business, people will and have spent endless amounts of unemployment dollars on comfort food, it seems to feed the soul. It boggles my mind that people will drop 70 to 90 dollars on pizza when that would buy a week's worth of groceries for most people. It's the normalcy they are craving and food is what sustains life as well as air and water, the latter can be found at home, it is an indulgence that seems to soothe fear or calms and comforts, but not everyone can drive to Detroit or New York to buy a perfect pizza, but the hunger, the zest, the passion for life can apparently be found in eating good comfort food!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Wonderful words Marie. One gets a better understanding of culture by partaking in their traditional cuisines. A small taste will take you to places you may have never seen or been to. To my Guatemalan grandmother cooking was her life as was her garden. It was an Eden for the palate. Where all things creation brought you home again. Like the prodigal son I remember all the scents and tastes of heaven in her house. Thank you for sharing your art with us.

[the tipsy writer]

I really enjoyed the humor in your poem and the sentiment behind it. Thank you for sharing.

[Wórdsmíth]

This poetry can be another reason: 'Why writers are weird or may be called nerds' - isn't what an average people call us writer with such words - Right? A couple of lines are deep as such:

"God might not condemn you to hell but the locals absolutely will."

During such trying times; and on-going situation, it's obviously not that reasonable to visit from NY to Italy and then Boston to Manhattan even gov. not gonna permit, perhaps once the lockdown ends - would situation remain that same or not? - this is quite a topic of global discussion.

Though, your poetry is a nice foreplay to have one's heart travel across the oceans... in words.. and imaging the time.. how it was before lockdown; and dreaming the days thinking... how would it be after the end of lockdown/quarantine or such pandemic.

Good to see someone wrote something on such trendy topic (s).

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

This poem sends a good message. We all need a break from what's been going on, indeed. tyfs

[Poetic Beauty]

We should take changes but good ones not gas station sushi lol we should be adventurous and live a little. Embrace something new and life changing. Try foods that authentic to where you are at. Wonderful job on this poem

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

This was a great poem. I cant wait until we can get back to the simple pleasures of life. It reminded me of how disrespectful it is to ask for ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago. The images put a smile on my face.

[h d e rushin]

the biggest drop in life expectancy since world war 2. I know, just another statistic, and another eccentric apsis that points our orbits farthest from the center of our attractions. But I believe in what your saying here which is far more than just exploration. But to conduct ourselves as a new kind of painting amongst this dim ,water colored exhibition. I will take your advice even if it kills me....lol.. dana

[Franky]

Very well said. We are all sick of this arent we? I miss restaurants....and hugs...

[Gee]

Cannot wait to board a plane and head off somewhere different, somewhere different with sun, voices I do not understand, menus I cannot read, this all played out to the sound of laughter and live music...bliss :)