I remember the first day
The first time
The exact place
The precise moment
The reason
I had to go, out wearing a mask.
I felt a trifle strange
Rather embarrassed and odd
Believing all eyes would be on me.
In reality
No one bothered.
In fact
Most looked away
Or down at their feet
Believing everyone was looking at them!
A cough or a sneeze spelt danger
A sore throat or a cold spelt doom
Add in a body ache for good measure
And you were avoided
Like the plague.
Days moved into weeks and
Weeks into months- years
Masks and gloves were hot topics
And no one left the house 'uncovered'
The pandemic ruled
With a ferocity unparalleled
In our lifetime.
It was hell and mayhem interwoven
And humanity was at it's wits end.
Those afflicted
Were not sure if
They would live to see another sunrise
Many didn't.
Tears, lamenting, gnashing of teeth
Death.
And then today
I felt the joy of going maskless at last!
Suddenly
There is a sense of freedom
Of immense relief
I hope it lasts.
But many are still wary
Still on their guard
Still not sure
And who can blame them?
We have had it bad
'He is on a ventilator'
'She is critical'
' He has been admitted to hospital'
'She is no more'
Sentences that left us reeling
Words that left us speechless.
It will take time
To come to terms with
What we have been through
It will take time and courage
To go maskless
It will take time
But it will happen
We will heal
This is how things work
This is life.
MG
No comments:
Post a Comment