No One Knew It

People often say crisis shows our true self, 

We used to think, in the moment - we’d always help.

But after living through 2020,

We’re scared and we flee.

We watched as the world was engulfed by sickness and stress,

We watched as our democracy crumbled in mess.

In the times we needed each other all the same,

We turned our backs and then returned with blame.

We forgot our neighbors’ names - and didn’t care to ask,

We started riots in the store over a 20 cent mask.

We began judging each other 

Scrutinizing each paranoid father or “Karen” mother.

In times of sickness we were meant to come with soup and a smile,

Instead we went and forgot we were human for a while.

Each of us terrified and equally proud,

Too proud to accept a mandated shot,

Too terrified to not. 

We isolated from our fears, 

The terrors were outside our walls,

Not sickness or death,

But a stranger’s breath.

A girl posted a TikTok from school

She was the class activist, popular and cool,

But she had broken a very important rule.

Not an hour later her comments took over the place

Demanding to know- where was the mask on her face?

We saw looks people used to make,

Filling the sidewalks, subways and trains with hate.

The patronizing glares,

The judging stares.

Our lost faith in the goodness of humanity,

How quickly we transform ourselves in the midst of calamity.

We’re all grasping for a lifeline,

For a comforting parent to say it’s all fine.

But they can’t - not anyone can,

Because this virus was out of the hands of man.

We’re so used to having solutions to problems,

We’ve completely forgotten how to solve them. 

It's not the fear of death or losing someone that we feel

When a crisis becomes real,

It's the idea that something is new to you,

Something you’ve never had to do.

We show our colors when we have no knowledge of our situation,

Because familiarity is often a misleading persuasion.

Anyone can fake something they’re already used to

But how do they act when it’s all brand new?