COVID: The Normality Thief
Jane Lee, 12
Before Covid, my mom used to yell
“Hurry or you’ll miss the bell!”
My dad would add, “You're going to be late!”
But then the pandemic changed our fate
I miss
The rumble of the bus
Even though I had to rush
I miss having a freshly sharpened pencil
As a writing utensil
Replaced by the clacking sound
of a keyboard on the rebound
I used to think preparing for school was a bore
Not anymore
I miss wearing barrettes ribbons, and bows
Replaced with noise canceling Bose
Now I’m at home learning in sweats
Instead of at school wearing my sweater sets
Zoom and Google meets
Replace our classroom seats
For math, it's not bad
But for orchestra it's just sad
It’s impossible to have a melodic session
When it's interrupted by a laggy connection
I miss break time chatting with friends
Now I rest alone until brain break ends
The teachers try to keep kids active
But exercising alone is not attractive
Walking to town with a friend
Was once a treat until it had to end
Gone are the in-person enrichments and clubs
like history, book, drama, and journalism with buds
I miss the approaching sound of the bus
Announcing the end of the day for all of us
Now it's just a click and a thank you
Zoom out the day is done— we push through
For our future, for all humankind, we have a common wish,
A return to our normal life, before Covid turned our world into a petri dish
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