Sleep used to be trivial, insomnia was on a nightly basis.

Gradually, things began to shift,

peaceful nights, well-rested days.

Looking back, my naiveté was laughable.

We go outside, but don’t see any faces

Only the eyes of others peer out of masks, 

Talking face to face a memory of what I used to do

Siblings used to be annoying now they are a treasure 

So happy that we are able to be together. 

While this time is hard, we do the best we can. 

Everyone stays to lend a helping hand. 

My family drives me crazy, but at least I get to exercise

Exercise my body, exercise my patience, exercise my self-control

But family has been changing, more together, more aware

Having to compensate in times of compensation, times of uncertainty

Any chance of a natural sleep routine gone

Family gets ever closer, but friends steadily distance

The bond between parents and child grows stronger with each week

Friends voices through a speaker, yet it never seems like enough

Friends only connecting through a screen

Six feet apart but it seems miles away

Watching the world through a screen

Wishing to be closer

Thousands of these bright screens

Burning the eyes of all who see,

There’s a lack of company

In my absent hopes and dreams.

The mix of lethargy and restlessness 

Creates strange phenomena 

I miss people I didn’t know I knew

As I’m trapped in these walls

It is in these trying times, that people start showing new and strange behaviors

That denote their true selves and show their inner feelings.

They can no longer hide their vices,

Of which they must be rid of or let the world see them drown themselves in them.

We can only witness things through the window, it feels less genuine.

Now school’s gone it makes us realize how integral it was.

We have to make sacrifices and do what’s best for our community

We need to be selfless and see how we can help

It is just better to keep to ourselves right now even if it’s boring.

Decide whether or not it is necessary to go out.

I might fail AP physics because there’s less assignments,

I dread the next school year.

I have so many mixed feelings about these times.

It’s really hard to not be able to see friends or people I took for granted, but I’m

Becoming closer to my family, and the change of pace has been very needed.

We will all grow from this and come back grateful.

This time at home has been full of mixed emotions,

Joy of family, sadness of missing friends, exhaustion from caring for siblings.

Family is the one constant right now as nobody can really go out.

I hear so many stories of people that are feeling like they are going crazy,

But personally, I hope that everyone can see the joy and blessings that it can bring.

Giving a people a moment to say their thanks

People stand outside their homes in the evening,

Applauding those who risk their lives everyday

To help those who are not in good health

The heroes of this new world.

More time to do things we enjoy,

More time to sleep,

Because we are stuck in our houses.

As tough as it may get, it won’t last forever.

Out of the window it has all gone,

Losing motivation, social skills and sleep.

Now I have not a care in the world for much,

But the kids that make me happy make my day.

Although others have found positivity in their time,

I have lost it, lost it, lost it all.

I don’t miss, I don’t feel, I don’t care.

I just go day by day wondering what it was like before,

Continuing this endless monotony day by day…

Teddy bears in the windows smiling on.

We used to feel drowned in the crazy (and sometimes I still do), 

But now it seems as though everyone is stuck in the quiet.

We used to wish that times would slow down,

Now that they have, we wish they would speed up.

My hope is that instead of constantly wishing for something different,

That people would see what a blessing this time is.

We are so used to running through life; it feels strange to slow down

We are so used to having no time to stop and look around

No time to enjoy the things that are right around us

And it’s amazing all the things we missed that we found now

We will weather the storm, and it will get better

We just have to stay strong and find ways to appreciate the things that we have

If we only focus on the negative, then we will only end up making this worse

Will it ever be the same, the unanswered question in my mind

Something so new has turned into a routine

After living in the busy schedule of our normal lives,

This new way of living with an abundance of free time,

Has brought a new perspective to our outlook on our existence,

Which has made us grateful for the small things.

Quarantine allows a great deal of time for self-reflection

Who I am, who I was, what I want to be, and what I took for granted.

But I have also used this time for healing

My only wish is to emerge into the world better than when I had to leave it.

Stay positive, stay inside, and stay healthy

Is what we continue to be told,

And it’s what we continue to do yet, 

The world is in a state of flux.

Society is crumbling, on its knees,

Riddled with distrust,

Filled with those who don’t understand,

Not a place for us to be.

But at this time I make a plea,

One to hear for you and me.

Our mindsets, lives, and communities,

Vastly damaged and void of hope, or so it seems.

Now we have a unique choice, indeed!

A chance to replace hate and greed, with kindness and empathy.

To restore ourselves and the world,

The way we know it should be.

Maybe the virus was a way for us to see,

Something we had never noticed before,

That now more than ever,

We have entered, 

The crux of humanity!

A wall becomes an iron bar,

The Warden goes by “Dad”.

Every step outside this fence

Is my first but might just be my last.

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By fifth period GT/PAP English II Kaatz class

Featured photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash