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Callum Hicks, 12
New York, NY

Static

Callum Hicks, 12

The electric blue buzz of the computer screens.
The soft hum of the machines keeping us alive.

An evil cackle of a monster behind me, casting a shadow on the cold concrete.
Snap.
My legs break in half like breadsticks.

The masks I am wearing.
They let me breathe.
Living history as if it’s some sort of consolation.

The shrill voices.
Crackle.
The pressure.
Ping-ding-ring.
The drone.
Zoomzoomzoomzoomzoomzoomzoomzoomzoom.

The whir of white noise.
Zzz.
Zzz.
Zzz.


Author's note: The poem plays on both definitions of the word "static." It's about the sounds of quarantine during Coronavirus and also the fact that I had to stay in one place. I thought quarantine would be quiet and boring but it has been the polar opposite! I wanted to convey the loudness and chaos of my quarantine experience. With all of the FaceTimes and the Zoom calls and the texts and emails, it's been overwhelming.

 

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