More than a Number

 

 

More than a Number

From the beginning of this pandemic, it has always bothered me to see people's lives reduced to a number. I think if we had put faces and stories to the numbers, perhaps it would have really helped grieving families, given some respect and honor to those who have died, and influenced people's behaviors. Perhaps putting a face to the numbers could have made it more real, and helped us to respond from a place of love, rather than fear...

I am so much more than a number,

yesterday I was a mother, father, husband, wife, partner,

daughter, son, sibling, friend,

why does that no longer matter..

and I am just a number in the end...

Yesterday I was a heart that loved, and was loved,

yesterday, I had a face and a story,

today I am just another casualty,

in a war I did not choose,

in a world caught up in numbers..

Would it be so hard to honor us,

to tell our stories, share our faces, record our names,

Would it make it too real, or just real enough

to stir hearts, to inspire some changes,

to transform darkness into light...

We are the same, you and I,

We are so much more than just a number...

Penny Bowman