Under Cover: a poem by Heidi Larsen

image by sunriseforever, on Pixabay, slightly modified

Staying Under Cover

God, 

Today I cannot gather

And say I’m ok.

Smile and greet  

And pretend all is good.

My bed is too comforting.

To stand is to ache.

So, I resist saying

Goodbye to my PJs.

For I don’t want to move,

And I don’t want to drive.

Those people are too caring.

They’ve practiced perfect long enough.

I don’t belong there anymore.

I belong under these covers,

Hidden from the world,

Where it’s ok to be broken, tired, and worn.

Where one doesn’t need to be good,

And nothing needs to be perfect

Except my electric blanket

And a warm cup of tea.

Heidi Larsen, M.Ed., is a 4th-grade teacher at

a small Christian school in Central Massachusetts.

She is a poet and a natural-born storyteller. Her

poems have been featured in three anthologies

by Quabbin Quills and showcased in Creative

Connections Art Gallery and The New Dawn

Arts Center.

(August 2026 issue)