Two poems by local artist Mary Anne Zammit have made their way into a global anthology reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Without doubt, the mere mention of COVID-19 sends shivers down our spines,” Zammit told Times of Malta.

The book Musings During a Time of Pandemic aims to helps create hope for those affected by COVID-19.

“It has changed our lives, created restricted lockdowns, social distance and separation from our loved ones. In these crucial moments, we turn to poetry as it has a special place for expressing our frustrations and pain. Furthermore, it helps create hope for those affected while inspiring those who are helping.”

Musings During a Time of Pandemic: A World Anthology of Poems on COVID-19 is a collection of poems where the works of 500 poets from across the globe were selected in order to send a wave of hope and lift people from despair while sharing their pain and experiences.

This anthology was compiled and edited by Christopher Okemwa, a literature lecturer at Kisii University, Kenya, who is part of Kistrech Theatre International.

One of Zammit’s two poems in the anthology is Painting the Sea During Lockdown, a poem about an artist painting the sea and remembering her first love who disappeared and returned again only to be separated again by death. She still paints the sea and shares her pain and loss with those who have lost their lives and loved ones during the pandemic. The other poem included is entitled Flowers in Spring.     

Okemwa said the book “holds a mirror to the present crises of humanity and I hope it will be a landmark in the global realm of poetry and, in essence, remain a living record of the pandemic as seen through the lens of our esteemed global poets”.