Dear Corona Virus,
First of all, how dare you?
I had plans. Big plans for my life and you just spat on them. You just couldn't wait to ruin this world. News flash, this world was already falling. You're nothing special. You're just scary, you're bringing change, and people are terrified. That's it. We were struggling before. War, famine, poverty, and disease already ran amuck. You just took over everything else. You forced people into isolation. Schools have moved to online learning, and the pressure of the world to maintain our distance has stretched friendships. Fear alone is enough to keep us apart, yet we need each other.
Humans naturally must socialize or else we become severely depressed. Yet, here you are. You have forced us away from each other. You toss your masked skull backwards in a haughty laugh as we scramble to communicate. Roads are abandoned, yet your pale horse struts along them. Wildlife reclaims parks and cities as you stand guard outside our doors. We fear the grim reaper who stands outside, saying nothing yet a wicked smile on his face speaks volumes. Travel is banned and we are trapped in places we don't want to be. You stand watch over us, your vision of death keeping us humble. We long to spread our wings and take flight from our nests, yet you wait silently in the shadows for us, your claws still dripping with the blood of your previous victims.
I stand here now, confronting you. I yell and scream at you for the horrible things you have done. Lives have been stolen away, dreams have been shot down, candles have been blown out. I wanted to travel, to enjoy life and yet you took it from me. The world is not the same and it is your fault. You do not reply to my cries, just as you do not reply to the cries of every other victim, of every other trapped citizen. Your hooded gaze remains still in a stirred world, and many cannot see the cruel smile hidden beneath. Your wicked hands are clasped behind your back as I stand here before you. You hold on to your greatest weapon in secret, so no one may take it from you. You think of yourself so highly, and yet you are nothing. And so, I ask you one simple question. How dare you? How dare you stretch your wicked hand over this world as if you control it? How dare you stand above us in mocking laughter? How dare you?
News flash, pal, you don't own us. You don't control this world. We control this world. Love has found its way through the hearts of hundreds. The dedication of our essential workers is far more powerful than your drive to rule. The love of our communities outweighs your victims.
Yes, you have stolen, beaten, and terrified us. Yet you, Corona, are not the end of the world. We're humans, after all. We can lift 3000-pound vehicles in a moment of life or death. We can survive cancer, falls, and gunshots. We survive nails through our hearts, and we push through hunger. Some of us are broken, and you have made things worse for them. But as a species, you cannot break us. We will fight tooth and nail to keep living, to keep loving, to keep fighting. Parties, dances, and concerts will still ring with music. Schools will still be filled with laughter, tears, papers, and students. Humans have survived many plagues and diseases before. Two thirds of London were lost to the Black Plague, yet here we are.
Here we are facing yet another of nature's cruelties. You can, and will not, win.
I still must thank you. I enjoy my time at home. I'm alone and at peace in the comfort of my bed. Physical school is stressful for me, for I quickly become overwhelmed and tired. The back and forth between buildings are dull, and the treks up flights of stairs are hard. My work is easy, and I have you to thank for it. Sort of. You truly aren't the real reason for my easy work load, but we'll let it slide for now.
My artistic mind flows through the pen as I create worlds through my stories, and as I breathe life into new characters. Colors burst forth from my markers and home-made bracelets. Without you and your lockdowns, I wouldn't have the time to do what I love. Games and laughter every Friday night with my family. Music and food during the online school days everyday Monday through Friday. Cuddles with my cat are abundant, as it's sometimes hard to ignore him when he's screaming at me.
Besides, work is closed because of you. That's both a positive and a negative, I guess. On the one hand, I love having all this free time. On the other, I no longer must deal with some of the more obnoxious coworkers, yet I miss the friends I made there.
Friends. It's interesting what you have done to friendship. Malls, theaters, and bowling alleys are now empty, devoid of all the chatter from friends. No more shouts of glee when someone gets a strike, no more giggles during movies, no more chatter over lunch in the loud food courts. Of course, that's a sad fact. Friends are forced to use Zoom or other such means of communicating, yet none of it is the same.
Despite missing my friends, I thoroughly enjoy my time at home. So, let us don our masks and smile beneath them. Your crooked smile hidden by the mask of suffering, and my smile of bliss hidden by the mask of anxiety.
I will watch and wait to see what your next move is. I will remain vigilant as to where your pale steed is, and I will watch from afar as you grasp another victim in your bloodied claws. Your dark cloak will not move, for you are a constant in this unstable world.
You are the Corona virus, yes, but you represent something greater than yourself, and greater than us. You represent Death. You come to us in different forms, yet you are the same. Peaceful or painful, death is still death. You are cloaked and hidden, yet so very present in our lives. Whether we die by nature, disease, or weapon, we still end up in your grasp. A sickly-sweet grasp, one that relieves us from the stresses of this life and takes us to the next. Your face is hidden from us, yet we still see your glare. I know what lies hidden under your mask. A kiss. Waiting for us all.
Until later,
Tenny
