Our new blog series—inspired by the Berlin International Women’s Club’s own—posts writings from our members that reflect on our lives during the time of #Coronavirus #stayathome. Send us your story by emailing blog@awcberlin.org

Elia—AWC Member Bridget Shaughnessy’s thirteen-year-old daughter—reflects on the power of emotion during the Corona Crisis in the second part of her poem, “A Moment in Time,” which she closes with a thought-provoking challenge.

A MOMENT IN TIME, PART 2: EMOTIONS

By Elia Shaughnessy

Into the realm of emotion,
You open the door.

A girl lies and stares blankly at the ceiling,
A boy sits in a chair, clicking his pen,
Boredom, ever-present,
Comes again and again.
It sits and it waits,
Like watching paint dry,
It spreads like weeds
From deep caverns to high in the sky.

Tears fall to the floor.
Fear curls up and thrashes
And among the elderly, it soars.
Fear is bottled up tightly somewhere in us all,
To be released or built up,
It is our choice
Whether we use it to stand up strong or fall.

A teenage boy rolls his eyes,
Bubbling and seething
Frustration grows stronger by day
Encouraging some to defy.
Every move we make is walking on thin ice,
It could crack and crash
And the freezing water will not suffice
The icy cold shoulder thrown in your way.

Emotions play the role of a king in the chess game of life,
The basis of choices,
Of laughter and strife.
Some emotions, like hate,
Have extended too far,
And in these times, we must treat others with love,
Guide them,
And be their north star.

We are the catalysts
For growth and for change,
Think of the help you can give,
The love you can share,
For love has no borders,
And there is no limit to our care.

And the world continues to spin.