There was a day we woke up different.

Frightened and afraid.

Forced to stay inside,

And sleep in the beds we made.

Tucked tightly in our homes,

With less of our worldly distractions.

We sat across from our loved ones,

And critiqued their’s and others’ reactions.

Some were angry at those

Who wore masks on their faces.

Others were upset at those who didn’t wear one

Because they believed it wasn’t safest.

Some people marched at the capitol,

Outraged over the restrictions,

While others wept over loved ones

Lost despite the best medical provisions.

The consumers bought more toilet paper

Than they could use in years.

Stockpiling on bleach and canned goods

Setting them on shelves next to their fears.

And others rose every day to fight

The demon that kills our most fragile.

They put on scrubs and uniforms

And worked the hospital rooms, strong and agile. 

Some put on their badges and guns, 

Only to face another danger.

Their families anxiously waiting at home 

Hoping they don’t return with the viral stranger.

And we all became abundantly aware

Of our own mortality

And the importance of our moments spent, 

And chose them with more intentionality.

And while we as people 

Took cover and desperately held in our air,

Mother Nature sighed in relief

At this break from her despair.

She used the time to clean her beaches,

And dust the smog from mountain tops.

To clean the canals and forests

While we closed our restaurants and shops.

And so we are left to ponder 

The culture we created.

Take the good and leave the bad

During this time of recalibration.

Maybe this reset 

Hasn’t been so bad

Maybe it’s a time to clean up our act

And appreciate what we have and had. 

~