Coronavirus? Covid? What is that, a game?
Supposedly the end has come
It crept up slowly but surely
Unnoticeable until it was too late to stop
Now we lie in wait for an end that may or may not come
With no end in sight, We hope it’s soon done
At first it was the airlines
And then went the events
Soon after schools followed
And then everything was closed
Livelihoods destroyed with no hope to look to
The isolation started with too little, too late
This mistake may seal our fate
And yet still,
Our government treats this like a race
After an initial refusal, they consulted doctors to save face
An onslaught of death brought on by obstinance
But worry not about that for our economy is in trouble
Some people are affected
Families whole lives change
And yet some people sit around confused and kinda scared
Survivors guilt to all those who were much too much prepared
It’s alright though,
I’ll put Lysol in my veins
At what point do we say there are things more important than living?
Is a stock portfolio really greater than caregiving?
Shelter in place?
I already shelter in a place
There is a frown on my face,
I miss the place with all of my friends.
They’re the ones that bring me joy.
Without them, what will I do?
Being forced to isolate makes me feel a little sad
Isolation is now the way of life
No contact with those we love
It’s much different than it being voluntary
Although I have a way to connect
It feels like I’ve been pushed away
From the very place I was trying to fit in
Animal crossing to replace human interaction
Our social lives reduced to a mere fraction
Longing and yearning for a world just outside
But instead we’re stuck, from the virus we hide
A new boss emerges, the zoomers all fear
For the new schooling system of zoom is now here
It rounds up the children,
And brings them in tight,
And makes sure that they are taught good and right
In 2019, 5 Feet Apart was released
The government now suggests we keep 6
Is this foreshadowing? Who knows
All I know is there are no more cliques
Pop culture has become too literal,
With the two bros chilling in a hot tub
Six feet apart so they don’t die
And now the joking Tik Toks
About spreading disease round’
Our neighborhoods are an unfortunate reality
As people are still going around
Acting oblivious and thinking irrationally.
Doctors and nurses risking their lives
While some people still can’t manage to stay inside
They claim they’re sad the school year has ended;
Then maybe that sleepover they shouldn’t have attended
Time to reflect on what matters most
To band together with unifying hope
To not let yourself become a host
Not a host of the virus or of friends
To connect in ways no one expected
We connect from afar to not get infected
Distance makes the heart grow fonder
Listlessly staring out the window
Wondering how the others are doing
Wishing to be with them again
Rekindle connections that have been lost
Put fire to bonds colder than frost
The death tolls start rising
A new definition of community gets put into place
Separate but not alone
Together we are stronger
So much more time the question is how to spend it
I just don’t want to regret this newfound self-government
How will it be when we are all free?
Will we return to the old or form new communities?
Will it ever be quite the same?
Will we treasure the time whence we came?
Or cherish a new kind of culture?
Will we long for the past or cling to the future?
So much uncertainty
Everyone needs to be doing their part
To go back to the way things were, and better.
We may not know what lies ahead
But we have each other and we’ll get through it.
By eighth period GT/PAP English II Kaatz class
