Life After Lockdown

   In the thick of a fire, it's hard to see a way out. The smoke obscures our vision. The heat pushing the walls in. The flames lick at our skin, singing eyebrows and choking the life out of us. On this blue planet, life carries on no matter what happens. We keep spinning in the vast realm of space. Infinite. Seamless. It seems as humans, we're so used to going back to the way things were after a tragedy. Maybe that's a way life keeps us going in the comfort of what is so familiar. 

   COVID-19 has changed our lives forever. Lockdown has made me look at my life with a microscope. It made the most important things in my life, the things that I love to do, the things that wake me up at 2:00 AM to write down ideas for the book I'm writing stand out like a big bright lit up sign that says, 'TURN LEFT HERE!' and  'FOCUS ON WHAT YOU LOVE DOING.' The urge to write feels like a seduction. A strong urge to write poetry, short stories and books. 

   Living through a pandemic feels so unbelievable. It's horrific and almost apocalyptic. As lockdown eases, it feels hopeful. Shops and restaurants are opening back up. The summer haze makes it seem like it's over. When I see people traveling abroad, it makes me think of how the virus might be travelling from place to place, how people are still getting sick and they are still dying. It's like little fires starting at random and before you know it, a giant flame sweeps through like a bad nightmare. Talking about nightmares, yes, they were back. 

   The tragedy of people losing their jobs, shops closing, violence and looting during lockdown and now as things ease up feels like a sinking ship with her passenger aboard. The anti-racism rallies that started in America and swept through most of the cities in the world is a spark of hope after the unjust violence from the police. 

   As I'm coming out of furlough, going back to work next week feels good. I'm grateful that I still have my job. At the same time, my heart hurts at the amount of people who have lost their jobs. Things can never be the same, however it may seem. Going forward, I do hope the world changes for the better as the pandemic dies off. 

Take care, be safe and wash your hands,

Wonder Woman XXX