Aftermath

Poem
Written By Heather Pilder Olson
 

Earth tilts on its axis.
Disease takes away life.
We’re still here, we are trying
to rebound after strife.

Pandemic post-mortem:
What’s the latest report?
How’s the weather today?
Are we coming up short?

After pandemic, we’ll fix it in post.
I just want to tell you: I love you the most.

Take this chance to re-set
to rest, to reflect.
Find ways to do better,
treat the Earth with respect.

Did you notice the birds,
rabbits up on the hill?
How the animals thrived
when the humans were still?

After pandemic, we’ll fix it in post.
I just want to tell you: I love you the most.

What is that thing
that you most want to do?
Where will you go next?
Who will travel with you?

It’s okay if you’re numb,
didn’t write a great book.
Didn’t learn a new language,
didn’t learn how to cook.

If you are surviving,
that’s a wonderful start.
Keep breathing, keep going,
just keep making art.

We’re still here, we are trying
to rebound after strife.
What will you do
with the rest of your life?

After pandemic, we’ll fix it in post.
I just had to tell you: I love you the most.

 
 

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Heather Pilder Olson

Heather Pilder Olson has written, produced and directed several award-winning films, including the recent documentary The River. She was an associate producer for the documentary Gold Balls, which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2016 and screened on PBS Television in 2020. She wrote the teleplay Crack the Whip which was a finalist in the Bigfoot Script Challenge and selected for the SIFF Live Table Read in 2019. She has also written the teleplay 38 Minutes and the features Dodgers and Birth. She is the executive director of the Bigfoot Script Challenge and co-leads The Green Room. She has taught screenwriting at the Gig Harbor Women’s Prison, and co-leads writers’ retreats in Grayland, Washington.

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