Who could have known
Dreams would lie shattered
Human life no longer mattered –
Last breath sighed on their own.
Insulated, disconnected or isolated
Behind thin masks and stone walls
Or hollow, emptied shopping malls
Meanwhile we’re all being mutated
To a future that is unprecedented
I like the rhyme scheme in this one–there is something old-fashioned, yet novel, about it. Just like the old world transitioning to the new. And the oblique-ish rhyme at the end, one I’m not even sure was intentional. “Last breath sighed on their own” tugged at my heart strings, those dying alone in hospitals without family, friend, or minister to comfort them. I also liked “Behind thin masks and stone walls,” where a barrier is a barrier whether it is flimsy or formidable. Unprecendented is one of Bernie Sander’s favorite words, I think, it peppered every speech he gave. Our situation is new and relying on past strategies could not solve it. Well done. 🙂
LikeLike
Again, you’ve given me food for thought for my next post. You’ll see that I also played on the words: un-presidented and unprecedented. It’s been an interesting test case to see how different presidents have managed the unprecedented. Frankly, some should be un-presidented.😀
LikeLike
As usual, you’re gift, as a poetess, really shines here as you beautifully describe the truth of our current state of affairs.
Is this the end of our humanity?
I worry that we’re already becoming jaded about sacred things; things that we once revered. I surely hope this isn’t the “new normal.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yea, but I guess as human beings we struggle with change. But history has taught us that people can and do change in crisis periods like this. Where would be if not for some of those changes. I just can’t help thinking that this is the universe’s shout out to us. Whether we’ll listen is something else.
Not all bad though, we’re being given a chance to to reflect and take a collective deep breath.
LikeLike