Bonfire of loneliness
Nowhere to go
no one to see
Is there a person on Earth
who truly cares about me?
Bonfire of loneliness
Home alone (pre-pandemic, too)
I’m not crying happy tears
every day is the same
a movie stuck in rewind
like a nagging pain
Bonefire of loneliness
time crawls at a snail’s pace
outrunning boredom is my race
Bonfire of loneliness
When I wake up
the world is still sick
what a cruel trick.
(c) Nicole Luongo
4/21/22.
Bonfire of Loneliness & Modern Life
This is the first poem in my Pandemic Poetry collection. Living alone is not easy, especially when you’re an extrovert…and the world shuts down. Can you relate?
Modern life has somehow complicated connections. For example, phone calls are rare these days. I understand that people are busy, however, I often wonder what they’re “busy” doing? Considering many of us have time to scroll endlessly on social media, maybe it’s time we scroll less, really connect with people we love. Let’s spark a bonfire of kindness! All it takes is a little effort. Try something different. You’ll be so glad you did, and you’ll brighten someone’s day!
How to Make a Difference
According to Project Unlonely, loneliness is a public health crisis that affects 30% of us; it’s as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day! You might think you know what a person’s daily life is like, but social media posts don’t tell the whole truth. Honestly, a lot of us fall into a false sense of reality because we “check in” with our friends by scrolling their profiles.
I hope Bonfire of Loneliness inspires you to connect with the people who truly matter. Texting is nice but a call (what phones were originally used for!!!) or a video message is even better. Be sure to ask what’s going on in their lives (really listen, don’t just wait for your opportunity to speak), or plan a visit. If your family member or friend has a disability, is immunocompromised, or is concerned about safety during these unprecedented times, consider keeping in touch with FaceTime, Zoom, etc. Seeing a familiar face or hearing a friendly voice goes a long way…trust me!
Want more poetry? Check out my book Naked Desires.
Photo by Jens Mahnke from Pexels.