This New Normal

 

In this crowded world
We clamor for comfort
Compete for cush jobs

Rummage our minds for
A glimpse of that memory
So sweet and forgotten

Pillage our hearts for
Emotion, so raw and
Unbroken, not dulled by

Long hours we spend
Walking the hospital wards
Or rather run to catch up

Quick step and quicker thoughts
Fast pace keeps on moving
Whether done or still living

That life you had always
Envisioned, now may be
A little out of reach.

This new normal is what
It’s all about these days
Reframing reality

Your goals once so bold,
Now steeped in obstacles
Whether time or IV lines.

I wonder what it all means
Most days

I wonder what we’ll dream of
Later on

When the black and white contrast
Fades

And our distinctions all
Change

Only time will tell
How it will all play out.
Until the last tick,
We protect what we’ve built

And compete to complete Our life goals, still bold And unbroken by time.

Anna Brown is an MS3 who enjoys creative writing, and pondering the meaning of life.