The Text

The House We Sheltered In

This is the house we sheltered in.

These are the hands, nimble and strong,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

This is the soap that washed the hands,
Again and again, and again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

These are the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

These are the games we played for fun,
After the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

These are the video chats that pulled
Far off friends into the room,
After the games we played for fun,
After the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

These are the stories, read and told,
After the video chats that pulled
Far off friends into the room,
After the games we played for fun,
After the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

These are the sleepers, safe from harm,
After the stories, read and told,
After the video chats that pulled
Far off friends into the room,
After the games we played for fun,
After the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of the house we sheltered in.

This is yet another dawn,
Greeting wakers, toasty warm,
After the stories, read and told,
After the video chats that pulled
Far off friends into the room,
After the games we played for fun,
After the meals we shared as one,
Passing food with grateful hands,
Washed with soap again and again,
That cleaned the knobs and panes and pans
Of all the homes we sheltered in.


End Matter: The Virus

In the year 2020, we began getting sick from a new virus, which we named Covid.

A virus is a small bit of the material that living things are made of, smaller than any germ, way too small to see without a very powerful microscope. Just like germs, they can get inside the bodies of living things and make them sick.

Covid can make us very, very sick, and it spreads mostly through the air. When someone who has the virus breathes out, the virus floats out into the air along with their breath. Then, if others breathe in enough of it, they might catch it as well.

To protect ourselves from the virus and keep ourselves from passing it to others, we began “sheltering in place,” staying home as much as we could.

This is hard for some people, but it isn’t all bad. After all, home can be a nice place to be. For many, it’s where they can always find the people they love the most.

The Masks We Wore

These are the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the distances we kept
To stop the virus from jumping the gaps,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the gatherings we skipped for the sake
Of the people we love whose danger was great,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the workers whose jobs were so vital,
Supplying the goods that we’d need for survival,
And the gatherings we skipped for the people we treasure,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the doctors and nurses who
Tested and treated and carried us through,
And the workers who did so much more than their share,
And the gatherings we skipped for the people we treasure,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the scientists, some of the brightest,
Who made the vaccines that would fend off the virus,
And the doctors and nurses who gave us our care,
And the workers who did so much more than their share,
And the gatherings we skipped for the people we treasure,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

These are the leaders who fought for the people,
Who warned us and taught us and led by example,
And the scientists working, vaccines to prepare,
And the doctors and nurses who gave us our care,
And the workers who did so much more than their share,
And the gatherings we skipped for the people we treasure,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover,
And the masks that we wore for each other.

This is the day we walked out of our homes
And hugged once again the world we had known,
Thanks to our leaders who guided us there,
And the scientists working, vaccines to prepare,
And the doctors and nurses who gave us our care,
And the workers who did so much more than their share,
And the gatherings we skipped for the people we treasure,
And the distancing, more than the virus could cover…

And the troubles we bore and the pains we endured
And the masks that we wore for each other.


End Matter: The Battle

Sheltering in our homes is one of the ways we’re fighting against the Covid virus, but that’s not all we’re doing.

We wear masks to keep ourselves from breathing in too much of the virus, or breathing out too much of it if we have it. The masks don’t totally prevent the virus from getting into the air or into our bodies, but they help to slow it down.

We also keep our distance, so the virus has farther to go in order to pass from one person to another. Distancing doesn’t keep us totally out of the reach of the virus, but it helps to slow it down.

Slowing down the virus gave us time to create vaccines that train our bodies to better fight it off. The vaccines don’t totally prevent us from catching the virus, but they make it less likely. They also keep us from getting as sick as we might if we do catch the virus.

Today, in the year 2023, Covid is still with us, but it’s not as bad as it could be. Many, many people, maybe even you or me, have been saved from getting seriously sick or worse by the sheltering in place we’ve done, the vaccinations we’ve received, the distances we’ve kept, and the masks we’ve worn.