Discussion:

In 2020 and 2021 we all experienced life changing as we knew it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are going to think about what that has been like and write an occasional poem. Occasional poetry is written to document events. Think about how your routine has shifted if at all and brainstorm the direction of your poem.

Step one: On a scrap piece of paper brainstorm changes you have observed, things you were happy to stop doing, and things you missed doing. You may want to consider how the pandemic affected your emotions and the people around you.

Step two: Once you have jotted down your thoughts on your experience of the pandemic, pick three or more points to be included when writing your poem. 

Step four: Use a separate sheet of paper to write a poem detailing this experience. Do your best to tell this story as if you were a narrator in a movie, or speaking to someone who has never heard of such an experience. Describe the sequence of events in chronological order.

Please see the example of the poem “The Quarantine’s Other Heroes” by Wanda Balzano.