A poem written by parents, for parents, in 2020.
Parenting during this pandemic is like
trying to ice skate in quicksand
or swimming in full winter gear
or roller skating down a mountain
in a snow storm
wearing a bikini
Parenting during this pandemic is like
brushing your teeth while eating Oreos
or walking barefoot on hot coals while juggling ice cubes
It is insanity
climbing up my body & always being
on the verge
of a breakdown
It is like
having a constant high pitch beeping in my ear while
being a teacher with no credentials
I lay awake at night and think
about everything I can’t control, like
will my family ever get sick? and
will it be my fault?
I lay awake at night and think
How is my schedule tomorrow and how will I accomplish it all?
Do I have enough coffee for the morning?
How’s my bourbon supply?
…do I have a problem?
I lay awake at night and think
Are my kids going to be okay?
Is my spouse going to be okay?
How am I going to be able to do my job
and.
also.
do all of this?
I lay awake at night and think
about all the low-quality conversations with my spouse
and long for the high conversations we used to have
I lay awake at night and think
about what the right thing to do is
how blessed we are we aren’t homeless
and whether I should quit my job and try to be a TikTok star
Parenting during this pandemic is like
knowing everyone is in the same boat, but
not having windows to see anyone else
hoping what we are doing isn’t fucking [our children] up for the rest of their lives
—more than “normal” time parenting anyway
I lay awake at night and think
about everything.
Politics, work, health, groceries,
my attitude and behavior
all race through my mind as a whirlpool
that I am drowning in.
I lay awake at night and think
I can’t do this
—but it’s how it has to be
and I’m pretty sure I failed at everything today
but tomorrow I can try again
Co-authors:
Nicole Auxier, Ashley Blackmon, Abby Cluster, Marla Friedler, Jake Lynn, Jane Moshi, Golden Rogers, and multiple writers wishing to remain anonymous.
*Arranged and Edited by:
*This poem was arranged by responses provided through a voluntary online survey. Contributing authors listed gave permission to be credited through the survey. Eleven total survey participants reported a sum of eighteen children between the ages of 0 and 19+ living with the authors in their home, with most being under age 12 and the average age being 7 ½. The majority of co-authors reported working from home while the majority also reported their children were distance learning from home as well. Four co-authors endorsed that this was their first try at writing poetry.
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