I don’t think life after covid-19 will ever be the same; not really. It will be just like a mirror that has been shattered, and glued again, only to leave the slight marks and chips as evidence that its shattering occurred in the first place. I believe, when we return to full normalcy, we will really look at people; really appreciate each others existence. A simple shoulder bump or hand shake will now hold new meanings. I believe it will make us more connected. In a way, it already has, at least, for me it has. I now know more about my school and about events because the school has been sending emails and information through Canvas. This information goes out to every student who has access to a device, which the school has ensured every student does. Before hand, one found out through social media, or friends who heard it from someone else. This gave me an unfair advantage because I didn’t have social media, and not many “connections”. Now that I do know about events, I feel more involved and connected to my school, and I am thankful for that.
Below is a poem I wrote about the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole*, but I wrote this to give an insight as to how its affected me.
Doors shut and the streets turn silent
Will the sun ever rise again?
Dust collects on classroom floors
And the empty halls hold the sounds of secrets being shared,
Of distant laughter; a time of when
Can you hear it?
Stores like an empty shell washed ashore
Awaiting the arrival of a new stock
And eyes, our only way of communicating
The Blind feed the Blind
Misinformation spreads like wildfire
And countries best race horses
Racing for a cure
Social wrongs being righted, and voices are heard
While children push and shove, and take
Glass everywhere, and the adults clean up
Heroes are celebrated in the honking of machines
A time for entertainment and jesters to take lead,
Wise old beings with answers are ignored; a time when the Mad Hatter made more sense.
All the while, Mother earth laughs at her foolish children, tucking them into bed
She finally has time to heal and rest
This was a time of great panic and ludicrasy, when other nations laughed at Uncle Sams
Senility, but also a time where reflections were made and wrongs were righted.
Submitted by Carolina Murillo Cuevas, Sacramento County – Galt.