People follow routine, day in and day out,
Doing all of the things they wouldn’t think twice about.
Going to mall or the movies, perhaps a concert or two,
The possibilities are endless for what they could do.
They think of the summer, making plans galore,
Then suddenly something happened, they hadn’t seen this before.
A disease like the flu, or so some would say,
Nothing to worry about, go on with your day.
And so the people did, taking trips and running around,
They carried on with their lives, feeling safe and sound.
Then suddenly the numbers, upwards they grew,
All traveling was cancelled, and schools closed too.
The cases were increasing, the restaurants shut down,
Bars closed their doors, no more nights on the town.
Let go were the workers from jobs meant to last,
How could this virus have spread oh so fast?
Lockdown was here, in their homes they had to stay,
When seeing people around, be six feet away.
The people grew angry, depressed, and bored,
How could all the things they planned possibly get ignored?
Two weeks went by, people put up resistance,
Bringing them to another month to social distance.
Life had slowed down, what were the people to do?
Sit back, take a breath, and change their point of view.
People going on walks and saying hello,
Seeing how many of their neighbors they didn’t even know.
Technology used to connect with friends from the past,
Trying to remember the time they spoke last.
Completing fixer-up projects, cleaning around the house,
Time off of work to be spent with their kids and their spouse.
Families play board games and sit laughing for hours,
The people have time to cook, and take long, warm showers.
The litter is cleared, pollution is low,
The true beauty of our planet can finally show.
The people are willing to help each other now more than ever,
Who knew that being forced to stay apart would bring them together?
Though the schedules have to change, and life took a twist,
There are ways to make up for the plans they will miss.
The people can relax, and see what other creativity this time brings,
Above all they have learned to appreciate the little things.
Kaylee Sperling of Monroe is a junior at SUNY Geneseo.