Then and Now
Published in
2 min readMar 31, 2020
pre-shelter-in-place (then)
These are the days
When there is no escape from
The unrelenting demands
The tight schedule dictating
Every minute of my precious day
Mechanized and predetermined
When I need to go where and with whom
Breathing room is nowhere in sight
That will have to wait until
The to-do list is done
post-stay-at-home (now)
The endless days inside force me
To confront myself with no excuses
Gone is the daily grind offering
Routines and activities distracting
Dismal observations of my family
So easily and quickly lured to laziness
The kitchen table and sofa become battlegrounds
Where quirks and conservations unleash frustration
Settled quickly with a hug, a laugh, no exit
A “go to hell” or an “I love you”
