Two Pandemics, One Life Poem by Kenneth Maswabi

It's true
This is not my first encounter with a pandemic
I am actually battling two pandemics
And my eyes have seen too many battles with pathogens
I have been battling HIV for close to two decades now
I have seen my patients give up and die
I have seen so many families broken
Torn apart by the reckless hands of HIV
I have buried so many friends and relatives
It's the constant pain of uncertainty
And the brutal face of death
Plus the hopelessness
That drove me to seek the path of light
As I dove deep into the silence within
My ego was decimated
My pain was addressed
My heart was dressed with peace
I found hope in the nakedness of the spirit
And I found peace in the emptiness of the heart
Silence became my daily bread
Consuming gallons and gallons of silence a day
I discovered the most precious of all gems
I found Love
There is an ocean of Love inside each and every one of us
And it's full of answers, hope and life in abundance
It's the ultimate state of nothingness
That gives me everything
Nourishing my soul
And refreshing my spirit
As I battle these two monsters
HIV/AIDS and COVID-19
Two pandemics, one life

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