We are being crushed by a pandemic’s jaws
and the best years of our lives are put on pause
So people choose to weep
and they accept defeat
But instead of sitting around to mope
we can get up and create hope
by coming together as one
and being apart until we have won.
English 110 Honors Spring 2020 
I really enjoy that the title coincided with the last two lines of the poem. I feel as though most of us fail to realize that by staying apart, we are all uniting and protecting one another, and I think that is a positive outlook to have on our situation. I appreciate the simplicity of this poem and that it end on an optimistic note that inspires readers to reflect on their own perception of social distancing.
Sarina Simpson
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I really liked the paradoxical ending to your poem. It seems counterintuitive that separating ourselves from everyone else would be our way of coming together, but that is exactly right. If only half the population did, the problem would only get worse. I also liked how your opening line made it seem like an epic fight or battle.
-Chris Metzler
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Sometimes simple is more powerful than complex and your poem portrays that. The title sets the whole theme for the poem and it is very clever. One would not expect apart and together to be related however through your writing the reader understands how they are truly related. In the present time we are all separated in our homes yet the world needs us all to stay together. We may be apart but if we are not together then we will never get through it. Personifying the pandemic with describing it as having jaws and crunching down on society shows just how strong the pandemic is affecting everyone. Finally, the ending was a great way of relating to the title and brings the poem full circle. Good job!
-Kyle Regan
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The first line of the poem got my invested right away. ” Crushed by a pandemic’s jaws” really captured how this situation is making us all feel right now. I also liked how you made this poem a way to encourage people even more to stay apart if any of us want this to be over soon and the perspective of this pandemic being a battle to be fought and won was unique.
-Bel Yu
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I think the first thing that drew me to your post was your title. While the two words juxtapose each other, they go so well together and sound so nice when you say them out loud. I also really liked the shortness and simplicity of the poem. It wasn’t overwhelming to read yet it still expresses exactly what you want to express. I also really liked that there was a rhyming structure. The words flowed so well together and I love how you express the despair that people might be feeling with such a sudden shift in their daily lives but then you shift to a more optimistic tone. Reading the last two lines also made the title make a lot more sense and I thought it made the title even more meaningful and quite clever~ thanks for a great read 🙂
-Joanna
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