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Back To Normal

Back to normal Breathe in... breathe out eyes flicker then open adjust to the light of a brand new day! It feels like life is getting back to normal. No masks, sanitizer, anywhere in sight. I venture outside for what seems like forever, Oh the summer sun feels great on the skin! Breathe in... choke...choke as smoke fills my lungs and ash floats on the breeze, My hope burns like the northern cedars Where's my mask? Oh there it is, great! A feeling of calm washes over me as I understand that life indeed is back to normal (whatever that is) John Derek Hamilton July 30,2023

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Mark Toney

Date: 8/7/2023 9:22:00 AM

Welcome back, John. Write on!

John Hamilton
Date: 8/7/2023 1:23:00 PM

Thanks Mark nice to "see" you today.

Charlotte Puddifoot

Date: 7/31/2023 6:58:00 AM

how nice to see you back on the site :) it's good to read your poetry again

John Hamilton
Date: 7/31/2023 7:05:00 AM

Hi Charlotte nice to "see" you today. Any air quality issues where you are? I see in Osoyoos, BC they have to evacuate and maybe other places. These fires may burn until winter.

Joanna Daniel

Date: 7/30/2023 10:35:00 PM

Welcome back, John, to the new normal... Love that ending:) great poem:) missed you very much...

John Hamilton
Date: 7/31/2023 7:03:00 AM

Hi Joe nice to see you today. I hope my motivation to write again comes back.

Vijay Pandit

Date: 7/30/2023 5:34:00 PM

Welcome back, John. It is wonderful to see you again. Yes--we are slowly returning to normal. May be not there yet--but hope is on the horizon.

John Hamilton
Date: 7/31/2023 7:02:00 AM

Hi Vijay nice to see you pass by, yeah slowly slowly back to the new normal.

Tom Woody

Date: 7/30/2023 4:58:00 PM

Normal? Ha! But I understand what you mean. Relative noimal. Anyway good to see ya mate

John Hamilton
Date: 7/31/2023 7:01:00 AM

Hey Tom how are you? I knew you'd be back. Yeah a little tongue in cheek, new normal wearing masks for the smoke. Over 25 million hectares of forest has burned in Canada, the size of Ohio. Some days there are air quality warnings and with my asthma I can't go out.

Lin Lane

Date: 7/30/2023 4:34:00 PM

Wearing masks was a means of survival against covid germs. Pity if they become a ‘normal’ means of salvation for toxins in our world. It’s so good to read you, John!

Lin Lane
Date: 7/30/2023 5:06:00 PM

What a tragic waste of a forest, John, in addition to the health problems it has and will cause to those who are breathing that air.

John Hamilton
Date: 7/30/2023 4:56:00 PM

Thanks Lin, much of North America is smoke covered from the forest fires here in Canada. Fires have burned 25 million hectares of forest, the size of the state of Ohio, sad state of affairs.