A tiny blue butterfly flutters between us
as we hike down the path
six feet apart
catching up
catching our breath
catching some fresh air 

What a nice surprise
in the middle of our self-quarantines
our shelter at home
our abundance of caution
to meet on the path by the lake

~ Robin J Phillips, March 29, 2020

I come from many houses
I come from an Air Force family
I come from get your work done, then you play
I come from be smart, get good grades, read read read
I come from lying in the grass watching clouds with a book on my belly
I come from skateboards and bikes and building things with scrap wood
I come from girls can do anything boys can but boys don’t want to vacuum
I come from a house filled with Barbra Streisand and Getz-Gilberto
I come from parents drink and laugh and kids eat burgers on Friday
I come from catching fireflies and hide-and-seek
I come from strong women who stick together
I come from love hard and break easy

~ Robin J Phillips, March 27, 2020
This poem comes from a teaching prompt from Kate Clanchy

I packed you this box
You should open it now
You see it’s wrapped brightly 
With bows and ribbons and sparkles

Inside the box
I put that picture of both our mothers
The first time they met
Their heads leaning in
Probably talking about us

Inside the box 
You’ll find a sand dollar I took from your dresser
A souvenir reminder
Of the sentimental woman
I finally found

Your box holds
An old soft sweatshirt 
Twelve pairs of reading glasses
A bike to ride through the desert’s dry gulches
And a piece of wood with a grain
That takes your breath away

Inside the box there are so many
Photos of us
Smiling smiling smiling

Robin J. Phillips March 25, 2020

I wrote this one day before the first case of Covid-19 was revealed to be in our rural county. 

We look out the window
From a perch on the porch
And watch families with dogs
And grandkids and such
As they head down the path
Toward the lake and their day
Trying hard not to crumble
Trying hard not to say

How scared the news makes us
Of a virus not here yet
When the best we can do
Is do nothing but sit

~ Robin J. Phillips March 22, 2020

As I wait for a test or a vaccine or
the next time I have to dash to the
grocery store and back
home again

I take a deep breath and dive
dive deep and strong and stroke
hard pulling myself under
the wave 

Heading away from the
safety of the beach
eyes wide open I pray
the wave will suck me
under and drive me out behind it
to safety

~ Robin J. Phillips March 20, 2020