Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare to physical distancers is better than any calming meditation app

As if the gift of returning to his role as the beloved Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard was not enough, Patrick Stewart is now doing another service to his massive community of fans. Stewart, who’s Twitter avatar is a photo of him in a pit full of rainbow-coloured plastic balls (like the ones kids used to be able to jump in P.C. — that’s pre-COVID-19), is spending time on social media, soothing followers by reading Shakespeare sonnets in his smooth, melodious baritone.Following the first video which was posted over the weekend, Stewart returned to Twitter to thank fans and listeners for the flood of appreciative comments and to post a second sonnet accompanied by a bit of an explanation. His mom used to believe in the old adage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," and now he's replaced "apple" with "sonnet."

pic.twitter.com/dA92uM4Hr3

— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 21, 2020

2. When I was a child in the 1940s, my mother would cut up slices of fruit for me (there wasn't much) and as she put it in front of me she would say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." How about, “A sonnet a day keeps the doctor away”? So...here we go: Sonnet 1. pic.twitter.com/kDoMNhdqcI

— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) March 22, 2020

[video_embed id='1881806']RELATED: Sir Patrick Stewart on what it was like playing a new, older Picard[/video_embed]Coincidentally, another Star Trek captain is also doing his best to keep us entertained during these days of self-isolation and physical distancing. William Shatner (a.k.a. the original Star Trek’s Captain Kirk) has been posting and interacting with his followers non-stop. Obviously, our favourite tweets come in the form of Captain’s Logs:

Captain’s Log: Stardate 1 of self imposed isolation. After having arrived at Planet Home, I was warmly greeted by Emissaries Espresso & Macchiato. I look forward to my planned respite from my normal duties. Kirk out.

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 18, 2020

Here’s hoping that both captains live long and prosper.[video_embed id='-1']BEFORE YOU GO: Pool gets destroyed to rescue horse that fell in[/video_embed]