Social Distancing

One of the key themes presented in Herrera’s “Social Distancing” is the physical use of space as a means of building peace in a community. The unique arrangement of the lines of the poem helps make this theme more explicit: Each line that surrounds the center radiates outward, creating more and more space between it and the lines next to it. The increasing space of the poem as it flows out emphasizes Herrera’s point that “Healing begins” (Line 13) when people are more spread apart from one another.

On the most literal level, the idea behind this poem reflects health and safety recommendations for people to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic; in a more abstract way, the space of the poem reflects on the emotional responses people might have to their self-imposed isolation during a global health crisis. The distance created by the poem, Herrera seems to be saying, is a necessary and positive step that creates “power between us” (Line 8) and allows “love” (Line 12) and “freedom” (Line 7) to grow. The specific imagery presented in Lines 1 through 6 build Herrera’s argument about social distancing: Each disparate scene is disconnected, yet flows together with the rest of the poem.