By Jeremy Friedman
This quarantine –
our nation’s hibernation –
is felt with a uniqueness here, as we’re
enduring this lost time in Los Angeles
In other years, for cold-weather-climate transplants,
LA’s lack of a harsh winter leaves us lacking –
we miss the euphoria of spring,
the release from months-long indoors captivity
In many other places, baseball spring training
symbolizes forthcoming relief
from frigid winter bondage
But not in LA, where Groundhog Day is just a movie
This year’s stay-at-home orders, though, have
imposed a winter of inactivity in the City of Angels –
closing gyms, tennis courts, golf courses,
hiking trails, beaches and so much else
Whenever on the calendar
this quarantine eventually ends,
for some of us it will be
our first true springtime in Los Angeles –
our first time to spring back to action here,
our first unfettered joy at regaining
the freedom of the outdoors here,
finally making it a home
away from home
Jeremy Friedman, a resident of the Palms/Culver City area, is a lawyer and poet, whose poetry profile is online at www.PoetLawyerate.blogspot.com.
Do you have a piece of art inspired by your experience with the COVID-19 pandemic that you would like to share? Send your submissions to associateeditor@culvercitynews.org, and they will be considered for publication in a future edition of the Culver City News, as well as on the culvercitynews.org website. All submissions will be unpaid.