Refraction

In the ruin of 2020, life shattered – streets that once bustled, now phantom, ringing with the wail of sirens, the weight of loneliness pushing down, every breath a hint at what we lost. Masks hid not only faces, but the touch of an embrace, conversations now murmurs from afar, friendships frayed, intimacy drowned out in screen static. eyes aching with anticipation of the real. Days merged into a haze, time was stretched thin – anxiety curled tight around my chest, fingers grasping at the frayed edges of sanity, as the world outside kept up its spinnings, relaxedly unaware of chaos within. Now, in the stagger into the light, I look back upon the rubble, The hollowed-out places in my heart, The quiet desperation that echoes Through empty spaces Of what once felt normal. And yet, here we stand, In the aftermath – The cracks a testament to survival, Where resilience blooms, Fragile but fierce, Pushing through the remnants of despair. We learn to breathe again, To find joy in the mundane, to celebrate the small triumphs – a shared laugh, held hands, the sweetness of freedom, the tang of memory, both bitter and sweet. But in this new world, we wear our scars like badges of battle, reminders of what we have endured, and though it may seem like the world will never be the same, we are here, beating hearts, reaching out for contact, to love again, to heal – and find the beauty in our shared vulnerability.