Life Has Changed Poem by Deanna Samuels

Life has changed
Life has changed for us all
Gone are those easy halcyon days
Days of being together with family and friends
Going about with ease to do our daily chores
Completing engagements squeezed into a packed routine
Enjoying the atmosphere at crowded stadia
Of being one of an audience for concerts, movies, theatre
Vacations abroad whether for relaxing or interesting travel

No, all that has gone, disappeared
It has now become a time of wearing protective masks
Washing hands ten times at each door
Keeping physical distance in space we share
No more fun and games within a party fare
In actual fact, no party at all when obeying the rules
A celebration of any sort - personal attendance is not sought
More like a scene of little screens of smiling zoom faces
Each taking a turn to congratulate the happy celebrant

A meal partaken with two in mind?
No, no! if not bubble family, stay six foot apart
This rule too, to keep back from other dining pairs
Disciplined line-ups outside shops and stores
Limited entry and physical distancing spaced on floors
Elevators with no more than two or three at a time
Leaving a wait for the next in line
Children's playgrounds taped off and out of bounds
Hot weather splash pads stay as dry as a shrunken bone

Kids confined to home internet learning
Getting bored with too much time on their hands
Mums and dads missing out on their own work assignments
Keeping fledglings busy with subjects of no interest
Household repairs have become a worrying feature
Tradespeople back at work, arrive at door to do the task
Hidden safely behind a tight-fitting mask
Enters the home with muffled greetings
Asks of the problem, fixes the cause, big thanks relayed

At last, following months of complete closures - easement
Appointments makable for haircuts, gyms and pedicures
Clinics and Malls, stores and clothing shops - but beware
Restricted hours and rigorous cleansing in between
Rumors too, relaxing other current restrictions looming
Combating Covid with numbers down, deaths at last diminishing
New requirements are now to wear masks in all public places
Helping to stop the spread of this creeping unseen disease
Well worth the cost for an hour or two of losing one's identity

Nevertheless, we have got to this point
We must consider ourselves the fortunate ones
The biggest factor, so many people in the world still suffering
Numerous countries still under lock down or returning to it
We will get to the other side of this Covid pandemic
How long?It is not known
We can only hope the scientists will work it out
Produce a vaccine to make it right
Get the world back on its feet again

Life has changed
Will it ever be the same again?


Written at Courtice, Ontario, Canada - 1st July 2020