Who would have thought, in the blink of an eye,
our lives could transform in this way?
No kisses or hugs from those who we love,
“stay home” are the words of the day.
Be safe and be smart, use your head not your heart,
this message comes through loud and clear;
Distance yourself from family and friends,
keep away from the ones you hold dear.
Who could have known that classrooms would close
and kids not allowed to roam free?
That sports would be cut and theatres shut,
so different than life used to be.
Churches aren’t open and neither are parks,
the places we go to find peace.
All parties are skirted, museums deserted,
anything social must cease.
Who could conceive the stock market plunge
or that commerce would come to a halt?
Who would believe their jobs could be lost,
so many, through nobody’s fault?
In cities, the stores are all closing their doors,
just essentials permitted to stay;
Quick little trips for groceries and drugs,
who ever thought we’d be living this way?
Who even heard of Covid nineteen
before all the chaos erupted?
Who could imagine, who could envision
our lives would be greatly disrupted?
How could this happen, how could this be?
Every country is questioning why.
The death toll is climbing, the whole world is crying;
it’s a fact, you cannot deny.
Who would have thought that thousands would die
so painfully and all alone?
That people would suffer and life would become
much different from what we have known.
I long for the day when the fear goes away,
when family and friends come together;
And children run free, how nice it will be
when loved ones can hug one another.
When all of this ends and the world starts to mend,
I hope we will learn from the past.
I hope we can focus on what matters most,
spend each day as if it’s our last.
For nobody knows how their life will unfold,
the future is sketchy at best;
Take time to reflect.. did you ever suspect
that this virus might just be a test?
Take time to smell flowers, take time to be kind
to your neighbours and also the earth.
Think more about health and less about wealth,
be honest for all that it’s worth;
Spread love and not hate, it’s never too late
to reach out to others in need.
If this moment in time is used to bring change,
then the world would be better indeed.
Donna Dash
Parksville