A Long Time Ago, but Not so Long it’s been Forgotten

By Andrew R. Duckworth

I was at a computer all the time,
Screen light filling the dark room
Along with minimal light through
The blinds from what I suppose
Would have otherwise been a
Pleasant day, but those days
Were dark with the weight of fear
And illness, no hope or help,
Just a mind that entertained
Every single moment of it;
Up the road at the store were
Lines constructed of masking tape
Directing which way to maneuver
Through the aisles, signs saying
To stay six feet apart, Everyone
In masks-colorful cloth or weak
Paper drooping over mouths.

Months later, I was at a computer
All the time, keeping up with
Those I had left behind, those
Who had moved on, those who went
Home or to different cities- all
Of them with different rules,
Different cultures, different
Looks and feels, different moods;
One of my friends couldn’t take
The thing they touted as a cure
Due to extreme allergic reactions
And they feared a lack of job,
Feared losing friends, feared
Losing family, feared being asked
The question everyone was asking.

Months later, former friends
Despised each other, families
Were torn by bitter nonsense,
Churches still hosted online
Services, People without masks
Were seen as a threat, somehow
A weapon in the open- people,
Stores were closed that wouldn’t
Reopen after months; somewhere,
Somehow, people were doing just
Fine lining their pockets with
Profits they didn’t earn-
Opportunity knocked and they
Broke down doors to reach it,
Lining pockets with currencies
Of every country.

Months later, we finally
Began to doubt, too late,
Damage already done.
To this day, there are best
Friends who hate each other,
Family no longer invited to the
Dinner table at Thanksgiving,
Tyrants hellbent on force,
Searching for a sequel to
Do it better, more efficiently,
Dust that still shrouds the
March towards the promised land.