From My View

The historically buzzing streets

alive with energy

and businesses propping up plastic signs with their specials

“Piping hot slice of pizza and a cold brew - $5”

cars honking and bicycle bells chiming in return

Quiet now

I sit looking down from my window

Rustling tree leaves are my only company

Pastel light reflects off the dark pavement below

onto the yellow Walk sign. One Way ➔ to more silence

When did it rain?


A stealth virus has army crawled its way into everything we do

Coming between lover’s lips

Pushing hugs apart with the tension of a rubber band stretched to breaking point

When will we snap droopingly back into place?


But there is refuge to be found in the stillness

Ideas that have been slowly burning like embers just needing breath to glow


A handwritten sign in my building lobby offering grocery shopping for elderly residents

People standing 6 ft away from each other outside a local burger spot

smiling as each picks up their greasy to-go bags

We’re all in this together

Us and the melted cheese


How long will I be confined to these three rooms?

And the rest of the world to closed doors and flung open windows

A dog barks. Time for dinner. Popcorn and a protein shake

One more deep breath of petrichor

We’ll be okay. Or maybe not. Maybe we’ll never take a handshake for granted again.

Maybe we’ll be better.