Scientist conducted meta analysis
Examination of data from a number of independent studies on the same virus
In order to determine overall trends
And what they determined
Is that the virus that causes Covid is constantly changing
They’ve seen a number of prominent variants
Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omincron
And the list of subvariant mutations goes on and on
Previously
The CDC said stay up to date on vaccinations like Pfizer, Moderna, & Johnson & Johnson
They mandated that we distance socially
In order to decrease the probability of a surge of infections
They urged us to thoroughly handwash for protection
Though breakthroughs in vaccinated people are expected
Research purported that there were surges even in the most vaccinated states
So they encouraged us to get booster shots before it was too late
To break the chain of transmission
Governments mandated lockdowns
closures of non-essential businesses
And travel restrictions
The shutdowns had far reaching effects across various aspects of our lives
But 1st responders and some essential workers had to go to the frontlines
They wore the mask
Yet plastic face shields couldn’t hide their pain
N95s respirators couldn’t cover the fact that they were afraid
It's an understatement to say that they were brave
Being a 1st responder on the frontlines was a big ask
Being an essential worker was a difficult task
Yet, they possessed the testicular fortitude of soilders at war on the frontline
Exemplary genotypes and prototypes intertwined
And like in Matthew verse 10
God called unto them
like he did his 12 disciples
Because they possessed the best prototypal
the perfect examples of categories of people with empathy
Though frontline and essential workers are used interchangeably
They aren’t always the same
This is an anointed appointment for me to poetically explain my claim
Some essential workers could work remotely without person-to person contact
Frontline workers were essential employees
who performed tasks that involve direct on site contact that served the public's needs
They handled critical hands-on-duties for their employers’ operations
They worked in various industries throughout the nation
And though frontline workers wore the mask
Even N95s couldn’t conceal their sorrow
Yet they worked through the valleys of the shadows of death
And hoped for a better tomorrow
And at the height of the pandemic
Frontline, essential workers, and 1st responders gave the world hope
Without them we wouldn’t have been able to cope
They kept the nation’s heartbeat steady
And though they weren’t mentally ready
They donned a mask on every face
While they carried out the daily workload with courage, grit, and grace
And at the pandemic’s highest peak when fear would not recede
It was the 1st responders, frontline, and essential workers who stood firm to meet our needs
Theologically, referencing Chapter 3 the 1st verse of Ecclesiastes
we can make an inference through deductive reasoning
And conclude that Covid 19 came here for a reason
Because to everything there is a season
And a time to every purpose under the Heaven
A time to to be born
And a time to die
A time to mourn
And a time to cry
The Covid pandemic elicited social-emotional pandemonium
So as I postulate poetry at this podium
5 years later at the Healing, Reflection, and Covid-19 Legacy Symposium
I want to celebrate the the frontline, essential workers, and 1st responders whose responses
were Pavlovian
The neutral stimulus was the disease
Which naturally triggered their responses to take care of the worlds needs
In classical conditioning
A neutral stimulus eventually elicits a response on its own
And the natural response from every essential worker
Was to go to the frontlines with face shields and gloves on
Grocery store cashiers, gas station attendants, and mailmen
Wearing nothing but masks that couldn’t conceal their fears
Some worked for minimum wage
And could only afford 1 blue mask to cover their face
For those who were low-income
Was essential a synonym for despendible simply because of the urban areas they were from
For paramedics, firefighters, and police
Who had to respond to higher volumes of calls
Potential risk of exposure increased
For scientist, doctors, nurses, and pharmacist
God bestowed unto them
The power to heal all manners of sickness
And all manners of disease
So as in Matthews verse 10, he called unto them
Principals and security guards were the only ones forced to remain inside public schools
To disperse the laptops that were needed for virtual schools
Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians had to sustain building maintenances
The public sector included utility workers and trash collectors
They all wore masks as viral deflectors
And yet N95s couldn’t subdue their regrets
Though their jobs increased probabilities of the viruses threat
They promised their families that they would come home
And when they opened their doors and left
It caused a sudden distress, leaving their children all alone
And ye though they worked through the valleys of shadows of death
They held on to hope because that was all they had left
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes
And there shall be no more death
Neither sorrow, nor crying
Neither shall there be anymore pain
For the former things are passed away
And when the world recalls the pandemic that caused international pandemonium
And reconvene on podcast, round table discussions, panels, and symposiums
Never forget that the pandemic produced one statistic
That represented the cumulative tragedy of a myriad individual deaths forming 1 final death toll
Never forget that hope redeemed what fear once stole
To call 1st responders, frontline, and essential workers brave is far to slight
A modest word for burdens born so vast
And ye though they worked through the valleys of shadows of death
They held on to hope that the virus would pass
And as in Matthew verse 10
It was as though God whispered their names and called them to the frontlines
Called them forward
Called them chosen
Called them to stand in the gap for mankind
So let their names rise
Inscribed upon the scrolls of history’s page
If you know someone who died of Covid, say their names