am please to publish this poem to Jack, who is 5 years old. Meet, Dale Champlin, poet, artist, friend and grandmother of two clearly beloved grandchildren.

When This Pandemic is Over

I will hug you silly!
I will wrap you in my arms
and give you thousands of kisses.

When this is over—
You will be the first person
I choose to hug.

We will go to the park.
We will go to the grocery store.
We will go to the toy store.

We will go to the zoo.

I will stay overnight for a sleepover.
We will pull the blankets over our heads
and whisper secrets to each other
in the dark.

The next morning
I will scramble some eggs for you,

I’ll even let you crack them
and stir them. When they’re cooked
I’ll feed them to you one bite at a time.
When this pandemic is over
I will stick to you like glue.

After your bath
I will wrap you up in a giant towel
and carry you like a king in a throne.

All morning we will sit on the sofa
and watch your favorite movies on TV.
We will cuddle together.
I will be your mama butterfly
and you will be my baby butterfly.

When it’s time for lunch
you can eat all the chips you want
those chips doused with cheese.

Then we’ll go to the park
and you can show me how high
you can climb, how you can balance
on a log and how you
don’t fall into the brook.

Dale Champlin
9:04 am April 13, 2020