Dear Reader,

As we approach the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic's onset, we revisit the period through the Pandemic Poetry Project

The brainchild of English teachers Annalisa Notaro, Jen Garfield, and Dani Weisse, this 2021-2022 initiative aimed to capture the experience of making it through the COVID-19 pandemic through writing about it, transforming it, and sharing it. Using the prompts “Before this began...," “Now...,” and “When this is over...," LS students conveyed their experiences in a cinematic montage of thoughts and images. In this issue, you'll see each of those categories, followed by a collection of anonymous student submissions.  The "All" category at the end offers individual student works that touched on all three prompts. 

We hope this brings you back to a time we'll never forget, and reminds us all to embrace life's simple pleasures—and each other.

~ The Editors, 2024

Banner Art: Crimson Spiral by Hannah Delaney

Before...

A time when every hug, handshake, and interaction was not given a thought.

To a time when a thumbs up is supposed to say it all. 

Longing to share a smile, a joke, or a conversation just once more.

Hey! we used to say to each other, without pause or thought.

An automatic response. 

Was it because I could not hide? Because I could see their face? Because I liked to be friendly and yell out to the world, I’m here and I see you too?

A year of panic, started as a joke,

So far from us - what fear could it invoke?

Before this began, 

A death was a tragedy

And not a statistic

Before, it was ‘normal,’ but I never stopped to take in the world 

or look people in the eye. Then, the world stopped.

Before this began I could be careless

Before this began I could see my friends without thinking twice

Before this began I could give my grandparents a hug goodbye

Before this began I could go to a Patriots game

I wish I could go back to before this began.

Before this began, everyday was the same.

Life was a cycle,

Not changing much, getting dressed, getting in a car, getting to school.

Life was a loop,

and I couldn't break out of it.

I often think back to how it was before,

When friends and family we could see;

We didn’t have to stay locked at home.

We could be free,

And we were never alone.

Now...

March 13, 2020

6 feet apart, 14 days, no more than 10 people?

I'll see you in two weeks!

One case in Boston!

Wash your hands extra today.

You're living history!

Only the old people can get sick from this.

6 feet apart, 14 days, no more than 10 people.

Last year was a surprise,

a virus on the rise?

Every public space had closed,

all hopeful plans disposed.

We had to wear a mask—

an unforseen task.

In the summer it was hot,

masks helped us breathe…a lot.

The future seemed so bright,

but there was only blue light.

Trapped.

Trapped in the home.

Trapped online.

Told the way to think.

Told the way to act.

Told what to believe. 

An ironic version of freedom?

A year’s been spent in isolation.

The fate of a slow responding nation.

At the start this was a two-week break

it was easy

it was fun

it was needed.

Now it’s been a year.

I understand myself both too much, and not nearly enough.

I no longer have my little joys throughout the day.

I was never taught or prepared for this;

how am I expected not to break?

We wish for more time with the people we know,

keep ourselves busy while the world becomes slow,

but as nights just grow longer and people disperse

I wonder if time is simply a curse.

A year ago I was waiting to go into school with friends and play around while enjoying my time there with them,

but now a year has passed and staying 6 feet from friends and family has became the new normal. 

Nothing around me feels the same and I feel as though others are feeling the same. 

Putting up a mask to go to school where I would see smiles and laughs, but now all I see are different colored masks and eyes that cover the frowns that frame our face.

The rushing numbers steady up it climbs 

Where is the vaccine we hope to find

Boredom strikes because I can’t go outside 

I’m so used to my neighbors telling me hi

It sucks to know nothing can’t help but time

Can’t wait when COVID’s gone and I’m back on the grind

Lastly, COVID please let this country heal

Boy, oh boy, COVID hits with steel

The place I thought as boredom, departed from me in March last---year, the endless cycle of daily nothingness has never been worse—

No friends available, no family available, no restaurants to go---to, no Celtics Bruins or Red Sox.

The months pass and things start to come back, but nothing will---feel normal until the mask comes off.

Soon this will be over, and soon i'll forget what it was, but for now I can only wait.

Stuck inside

and socially deprived

managing life and finding ways to survive.

Although this was hard on many people's lives

this pandemic wasn’t all negative, there’s good I can describe:

in this, we got to see the beauty of life

so when the world becomes normal, you’ll see the light in our eyes

“You never know how much you have until it's gone” is what we had to realize—

There's a lesson to learn with everything, use this as your guide.

All around me, as far as I can see.

My people were burning

My classmates turned into tiny little bubbles on a screen.

Real school now seems like a dream,

But have you gotten the vaccine?

Dressing in the parking lot 

going in 10 minutes early to lace up skates, 

wearing masks on ice.

Empty streets, quiet halls, 

Six feet back, conceal your face.

Fear everywhere, especially in this place.

Teach yourself, learn nothing from school.

Shortages and paranoia seem to rule.

“These are the best years of your life!”

All I see are eyes;

gone are the grins and the grimaces,

gone are the faces that twist with joy and anger,

gone are the mouths that open wide after a surprise.

I dream for a world

With a life less swirled

I long for a place 

Where I can see her face

I dream for a time 

Where hugging is not a crime

The parts of life worth living are the most spontaneous and the most imperfect. 

Why is it I wish things were perfect?

We lost the ability to see the truth.

The hopelessness and regrets build a pit in my soul. 

The glorious part of life is that you get to keep living. 

There’s no time to die.

I still smile at strangers, forgetting that they can’t see my face. 

Like light passing through glass our paths, our destinies are refracted

now we are high schoolers…destined to be extraordinary.

Now we all feel so alone 

because we feel like we don’t know those we’ve known.

I used to be talkative, used to know what to say.

Now words just crowd my brain like moths with no light 

before they spill on a page with no one to see, 

ink drips on every paper with no eyes upon it.

Isolation is different once it becomes your life.

I watch on TV as sons and daughters die,

And their parents crouch near their graves and cry.

I watch through a screen as fires ignite
and canisters of tear gas are in flight.

Staying home and sleeping late

home alone is always great

this whole thing has brought me lots

of joy I never thought I'd find

thank you very much, my introverted mind.

I remember reaching out with my hands to friends and family

but now the air is empty 

and I receive cold stares from expressionless eyes instead.

I see people resuming life as normal

while I sit here and view my life through the screens that serve as a mirror 

reflecting the lives of others.

One day maybe

I will be able to press “play”

and my life will resume too

though for now it st

ays firmly on “pause.”

Now that we have lived through almost two years of a pandemic, 

it feels like things are moving slowly

as if we are swimming through peanut butter. 

I sit alone in my room,

headphones resting on my head,

the volume turned up to ten,

the lyrics playing,

“All my troubles seemed so far away…”

Keeping me up and awake,

with nobody to distract me,

from the tragedy,

that keeps me listening to my music.

Before this all began, life was normal. A different normal. Now we have a new normal with masks and sanitizing. It’s hard to picture the freedom in the old normal. Will the normals collide to give us a new life, or will we be stuck like this forever?

The days we spend at home 

only the weather seems to change 

wind sun and rain 

flashes between the hours.

Empty shelves of cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer, 

Eyes glued to the TV, 

Schools shut down, 

Nothing to do. 

It started with uncertainty and chaos

it moved on to longing and despair

now hope has returned—

I’m hoping we’re almost there.

Now I stand in a hall

in 4, hold 7, out 8,

Am I far enough away from people?

Too crowded

         Too loud 

             Double mask 

BREATHE

        In 4, hold 7, out 8

Repeat

When this is over, 

I just want to breathe

Now I tend to distance myself from others,

I find it is easier dealing with what- ifs 

Than oh- wells 

Avoiding heartbreak and disappointment.

People tend to make promises when they are happy 

And say how they feel when they are angry

In the process of distancing myself,

I have finally found what makes me happy

I now know my worth 

Still, sentient, static, a goldfish gurgles in its tank;

silently conscious of this continuing deconstruction.

Perhaps only a week or two;

shall end this demoralizing destruction?

You’re sitting in silence and boredom in your room,

telling yourself that every day is the same, so all you can do

is stare at the fake world that you wished you were in.

It's getting darker and blanker every day; you’re trapped in 

the worst place you could ever think of.

You wanna get out, but you can’t.

You wanna yell and cry for help, but no one can hear you,

and all you can do is sit and cry your pain away.

Now hugs are almost forbidden, dangerous

Social media is a vacuum of stolen minutes, hours

Each classroom is full of empty space, silence

But schools became vacant and city streets clear,

A year of panic, a year of fear

What started as a nice vacation

Turned into a global situation

That no one was prepared for.

Masks are now a necessity,

Life has changed irrevocably,

But hope is still there for the future.

Before this began I was excited for a two week break

Time to be at home: relaxing, sleeping, reading

Now all I do is stare at a computer screen 

And I would give anything to leave the house.

When This Is Over...

I see a world where no matter your race, there is a space for everyone

When it’s safe to unmask, we no longer lack basic empathy.

When you smile, the world is no longer a hostile place.

Where the only division a child learns is the one in third grade math class.

I can't wait...for all this to be just a memory.

Traveling and exploring,

And going about the world outside of our borders.

My eyes lit up when I received the news:

“School is canceled for 2 weeks!”

If only I knew those weeks would lead to years.

Now I sit here, 

My eyes lit up,

This time just by my computer screen.

In January, it was a myth.

In March, it was a gift.

In August, it was a curse.

In September, it took a toll.

In December, it kept us inside.

Next February, it was the norm.

The following April, we began to hope, 

As everything came back to normal.

I want to see someone smile.

I want to see their eyes crinkling up,

The corners of their mouth pulling back,

Their teeth sparkling like the sunlight. 

I want to smile back.

When this is over

we will praise

how we came together to survive,

Ignoring all those who died

from ignorance, hatred, and pride.

We will say

that we did the best we could,

Ignoring all the things we could have done

if not for greed and corruption,

Patents and division.

When this is over.

Love means staying away, alone

and though isolated, I have grown.

And when this acid rain of a virus came down upon our corrupt country

we saw it coming but chose to turn away,

put our heads in the sand, and denied danger like humans are prone to do

and, in time, it began to feel normal.

When this is over, the world will be calm:

the stars will shine, and the days will grow long.

No longer will the sidewalks feel lonely, with no one to walk them.

No longer will tree branches be friendless, with no one to climb them.

When this is over, the world will be calm.

When this started, I figured it’d only last until June, or July at the latest

Turns out I was right

I just got the year wrong

Once the storm rolls over, we can see the peace in life. Not focusing on what divides us, focusing on what unites us.

Once the storm rolls over, the noise and chaos from forces we cannot control have gone silent and it is time to heal. The uncertainty of tomorrow becomes a window to a better future, not a secure port hole into the unknown.

All...

Before COVID, I never watched reality TV. 

I heard my drama from peppy blonde women telling me about various scandals, but I wasn’t invested. 

In the past 13 months I have watched over 11 reality shows about love, many of them more than once. 

I didn’t enjoy a single one, I just wanted to see people together without masks on.

Before this began I used smiles to greet and style that’s sweet.

Now I awkwardly stare, feeling bare behind what we swear protects us.

When it’s over I’ll let emotions flow, show relief, and feel just as I did long ago.

Before it began, I would take time with my friends for granted, 

I would pass up opportunities just because I could. 

Before, everything felt like one blissful blur

I now can remember almost every single detail of being locked inside 

With no option to see friends or have those same opportunities. 

Everyday was the same and felt like I was walking in a continuous circle

Before this began, there was a friend to talk to

around every corner. Now it is rare to recognize

any of the half-faced people walking past me.

When this is over, I will be able to know if someone is happy, sad,

or anything in between, instead of looking at blank stares.

Before this began, sports were played outside on sunny days.

Now, people go a while without a smile.

When this is all done, we will enjoy the sun.

Before this began,

I had homes in my friends’ houses.

Now, I only laugh with them through screens.

When this is over, I will appreciate being face to face.

Before this began, I could always see my friends.

I could walk into school and see their smiling faces.

Then I'd wake up every day and open my laptop.

All I'd see was a bunch of blank screens with the cameras off.

Now, I am glad to be away from those blank screens,

But still cannot see any smiling faces.

Before this began I didn't know how much I would miss 

the banter and buzz of groups of students, like bees orbiting honey enticing hives.

Now I am comforted by the classroom chitchat of a turn-and-talk.

When this is over, I will continue to appreciate what community sounds like.

Family became friends, 

Friends became screens,

Family friends became relatives,

Far away relatives became close family,

Finally time slowly stirred, growing to a rumble and finally a roar

Before, not a worry in our lives till that day .

We thought it would pass.

We avoided the subject.

Now, we are walking in a circle trapped like prisoners behind bars.

Having to watch sickness in people's physical health and mental health.  

Free us last for one last chance.

Before this began,

I could flaunt my positivity,

But now there’s two meanings

And the second one frightens me.

It's quite contradicting,

What that forbidden word implies,

But the worst thing about it

Is that you never saw the signs.

I was socially distancing before this pandemic existed, and I will continue to when this is over.

Before this began, the world was in a state of peace.

People were laughing.

Friends were gathering.

Family was hugging,

But there is always a calm before the storm.

A wave of destruction hit,

People fleeing to their homes

stuck with the people that they call family,

If not family, then a mask to everyone they knew.

Now in the light of day, a hammer and nails are here to build up people’s hope.

Before this began, I used to enjoy the loud and quiet

Now, I prefer the latter.

Before this began, I used to not be able to sit down and read

Now, I’d rather stop the chatter.

Before this began, I used to worry about my teeth

Now, I feel it does not matter.

Before this began, life was simple.

Then, for students, all of a sudden, life became even simpler.

Now, as we move back towards simpler lives, why does it feel as if life is becoming more complicated?

Before this began, some days were difficult. 

I conquered cancer.

Now, some days are difficult.

I lost my sister. 

When this is over, some days will be difficult.

But maybe, we’ll have each other again.

Now we have nothing more than a late night Facetime call.

When this is over, I’ll say hi, and hug, instead of just pressing accept.

Before this began… indoor movies, and sleepovers and food galore.

Now fires on cold nights, bundled up to stay warm. 

Masks and sanitizer, our only way to interact.

A nest once crowded was on its way to sending each bird out into the world

Then one day all the baby birds came back

The nest had not been full for many years

The birds stayed chirping together in the nest again for 9 long months

Until it was time to send them out in the world again

An empty nest is never truly empty, the baby birds always come back

Before this began, I woke up early,

Now I wake up late,

And I feel great.

Before this began, halls were filled

and sports fields and malls and all the rest

and then things were flipped upside down

Now we’re flipping back up again.

Halls are filled, albeit with masks 

and the same for fields and stores

when this is over, no one will

see a full room the same again.

Before this began, I rushed my dog on walks in the woods, reminding her: "Hurry up!"

Now our breathing is familiar and full; steady, like snow or dawn. We are tracking the air.

"Who's a good dog?" I'll ask when this is over, "Who's the very best dog?"

Before this began I would smile at my friends as we passed in the hall;

now I smile, but they cannot see all they see is a squint and a slight head nod.

When this is over, I will never take a smile for granted again. 

Before this began I was happy as ever,

but it changed in a jiff, like dark stormy weather.

Now I live with a mask on my face,

thinking about that old happy place;

and when this is over, I’ll be grateful for sure,

remembering what everyone had to endure.

Before this began I was a hermit hiding in my shell. There was no confidence I could find.

Now I'm molting and my shell slowly decays, I find myself slowly right the wrongs of my ways.

When this is over, I will no longer search for a new shell, I'll live as I've wanted to be shelless, yet with a home.

Before this began, life was predictable, easy and carefree:

you could go anywhere, do anything, and see everything.

Then, in a flash, the world changed overnight,

the thought of a mask no longer a foreign sight.

Now we have school back in session, and wearing a mask is polite

but soon we’ll see each others faces, and it will be alright.

When this is over, our “normal” will never be the same

and 2020 will forever be in our brains!

Before this began

I was never alone

As much as I felt it, there were always people.

I’m more familiar with the feeling now 

The presence of silence 

The lack of acknowledgement 

You sit and get through the days

And try to find the happier parts

Before this began 

I still gazed at my screen 

In boredom, in happiness, and in stuff in-between 

Now I sit in my bed 

The covers undone 

I lay resting in silence 

On a duvet of crumbs

Before this began I never thought the world could stop

Now vacant stores and empty halls are all around

I dream of the day I forget it all

All our lives took a turn when COVID started.

Months and months of isolation

didn’t feel real at first.

Now I can’t remember what life was before

Since quarantine begun

every day has become one

Now everything is coming back

it feels like we are back on track

Once, we could all gather together.

We’d laugh.

We’d  talk.

Now, when we smile, 

no one can see.

We’re hidden,

waiting until the day 

we can take our masks off. 

Before this began, wearing a mask was a foreign concept. 

Now, it is a staple in our lives. 

When this is over, seeing people smile, breathing fresh air, and having the sun shine on a bare face will never be taken for granted.

Before this began we knew our classmates.

Now we sit quietly

next to strangers.

One day we can all relax.

Before this began, being on a team was normal

Now I feel like I’m working a desk job in my own office

When this is over, I hope the world will be free to explore once again

Before this began, I took life for granted. When the announcement had rung that school would be out for two weeks, I didn’t think of it as anything but a vacation. It felt exciting. 

Now, the thought of going back to school—an environment where kids are packed in the hallways, social distancing isn’t a thing—seems out of the ordinary, even though I’ve been doing it for most of my life.

When this is over, I’ll be relieved to go back to what was once considered normal. But it’ll feel new, a little terrifying, and I won’t be used to it. Cause what was once considered normal isn’t so normal anymore.

Before this began, there was an excitement in everyday life

To be with friends, learning, interacting, and enjoying. 

Now, connection is lacking 

Between friends,

Between family,

Between ones we love the most.

When this is over, the excitement will be overwhelming.

Every interaction will be cherished. 

Every class will feel connected,

And every person who I love will feel loved.

I don’t know if the "me" before this began

would see the "new me" and be a fan.

I've grown and changed, I’ve laughed and cried.

But I know for a fact, that the "old me" has died

I’ve had friendships grow then fall apart.

I’ve had love turn to a broken heart.

Nonetheless, I am happy with the path I’ve taken,

the bittersweet moments and the person it awakened.

When this is over, I will say with pride

that through the highs and lows I was grateful for the ride.

Before this began I rarely looked at anyone’s face.

Now I scrutinize every mask, every pair of eyes

When this is over and masks are off,

I wonder how many faces I’ll recognize?

Before this began, I had a long list of leisure activities, 

ready at my hand.

Now, I sit in my room,

dreaming of all the things I cannot do.

Before this began life was simple, now a mask covers our smiles. When this is over I will gather without caution. The days were long and confusing. Our house was littered with take out and board games. All thought was, this moment of time will go down in fame.

Before this began, it was easy to pass by and ignore the little things we enjoy now. In moments that I experience more currently, I embrace every moment, respecting it for what it is and making sure I truly enjoy what the universe has to offer. I take time to admire and pay respect to things such as taking long walks outside on a nice day, hanging with friends, or admiring a freshly cut flower bouquet. While I walk outside, I have a close ear, I can understand the wind faintly talking to me as it moves across my head. When it is all said and done, I will have become a better person, a more patient one, and someone who passes this information on to everyone.

Before this began, sports came around every day, just like brushing your teeth.

Now things are starting to feel more normal, chasing that ring.

When this is over, I will never take for granted the time I have with my boys on the field.

Before this began, 

I was comfortable,

shaking someone’s hand.

Now it is nothing more,

Then a simple nod,

And a dirty look,

Thinking to myself,

How far apart is 6 feet.

When most people are asked 

about what they learned during COVID,

they respond with cliché answers

—how much I love my friends

—how often I hug my family.

When I am asked 

about what I learned during COVID,

I say:

—how frustrating people are

Now, 

Now 

Now

Now

One step at a time.

Before this began, I hid from people

Before this began, I avoided speaking

Before this began, I was alone

Now, I  seek out company

Now, I speak out loud

Now, I have company

All thanks to being at home for a year.

Before this began spring sports hypnotized my mind,

Before this began wearing a mask felt like a waste of time.

Now I feel locked up like I committed a crime,

Now each day feels like a grind.

When this is over I must be on a beach, listening to Sublime.

Before this began, I went through my days knowing what would happen next.

Now, I look back at all the things I wished I’d done,

all the people, the places, and experiences I took for granted,

hoping to go back to a time where I knew what would happen next.

Before this began, I never noticed them.

I was never out at the time or the place to

Find them, which is admittedly odd for

The summer. But now it is different, black cups.

I stumbled upon them growing at the border of the woods,

and make use of their plentiful

Harvests throughout their season. When this is 

Over and the summer comes again, I

Think I will revisit them.

Before  this began, we joined our strings in harmony 

We joined our voices through crescendo and decrescendo.

Now, I feel the dissonance of the squares on zoom.

When this is over, the intermission will end.

Encore, Encore, let the music resume.