It is often said that great art is created during troubled times, so it should come as no surprise that Barnard — well known for its alumnae writers — has seen this trend continue as the “twin pandemics” of COVID-19 and a renewed focus on racial injustice and violence sweep the world. In this new limited series, Barnard community members share poems and songs that speak to this unique moment in time. (If you would like to contribute, please email newsteam@barnard.edu.)
Today, we feature Rachel Eichler '89's poem, "Plagued."
Plagued
Don’t you belong
in the reign of the
Pharaohs’
where the vengeance of the God’s
rose from the Nile?
Don’t you fit in
the middle
of ages
where filth and dark superstitions
ruled the land?
Don’t you seem
more compatible with one
world war over
before antibiotics
and ventilators
a reality?
But you are here, keeping us
masked and armed with
alcogel
You divide and distance humanity
humbling our modern achievements
while winking at our hubris.