3.14.22
2 years to the Day.
Everything changed. From the way
things had been. Normal,
before
when masks were placed over each face. two years later, they’re
coming off. After two
years of sanitation, emptied grocery store shelves,
of hand sanitizer, toilet paper, people hoarding them for
themselves. Two years of lost thoughtlessness
of breathing
a stranger's air. Two years of opinions
glaringly
shared. Of divisions over not getting
sick. Over needles; the government's
“trick”. Divisions over right and
wrong; if people are dying
or not. Apparently the birds need their batteries changed, and
everything
affects our brains. Everyone is
insane, But suddenly now it’s
switched. Masks are suddenly
ditched. No need for excuses like “oops zoom glitched” Cause just two years to the day
we’re going back. Back to normal
they say. Our lives
can resume. “We can go back
to the way
everything was.” That’s what they say.
But I don't understand
how it can be. Because I'm turning 16
Two years to the day before
everything changed.
I turned 16
But I still remember just being
a middle school girl. So insecure
of what people thought. What I wanted to be.
Sitting in a park, “won’t 16 be sweet”
But 2 years passed. 17 thousand 520 hours
like that. I don’t know how to just
go back
like nothing changed. Like it can all
be the same. 13 is different than sweet
16, where we’re hurtling to decisions
of what we wanna be. After
two years of life seemingly pausing
and waiting for our lives to
resume. But we just assumed
the people that we would stay the same
that long. But that middle school girl is gone.
It’s been two years too long
and to say we’ll go back
feels like an
act. Like we didn’t sit inside, watching the minutes
pass,
Watching the world turn to ash.
Like we can just get back
on track. Like we didn’t have this huge setback.
Like we haven’t changed, for good
and bad. Like I wasn’t 8th grade when this started
A Junior next year. Like life can be its perfect
mirror. Back to normal they say
But everything has
Changed. It can’t be normal.
Not in that way.
3.14.23
Everything's normal?
Is this the normal?
IDK