Wave after wave the virus hit home,
On the empty streets, schools, offices and parks, doubt and fear roam.
People are at home, under lockdown and all alone,
But always hooked on to insta, netflix or whatsapp on the phone.
Economy in the family is just not the same,
For some savings increase as incomes remain.
For some, there is no way to earn,
lockdown implies, starvation, crash and burn.
Cities gasped in April and May, as hospitals ran out of oxygen,
towns and villages followed, there was no place which could avoid the contagion.
Politicians blamed and shamed each other for the onslaught,
Pyres burned silently as people hurt caregivers and fought.
People began to get vaccinated though,
when the virus will be stopped no one knows,
Unrest in the world continues to grow,
economic hardship, polarized media adds to the woe.
Will crypto make it big?
Will OTT shows take over the movie and TV gig?
Will natural calamities increase exponentially?
How safe can anyone really be?
People are sequestered and alone,
mental health deteriorates as people mourn.
but there is hope as always,
if science and good governance embrace.
the new normal continues to change,
the world is now online and offline, all different and strange.
Freedom takes a new meaning now.
freedom to step out, freedom to object, freedom to differently love.
New Customs might replace the old,
Or the ancient ones might surface again, after all, old is gold.
The stage is set for 5G, AI, ML and big tech to boom,
AI even tries to find you a bride or a groom.
Reality aims to be virtual or augmented too,
kids can switch on computes faster than wearing a shoe.
People continue to age,
they rant anonymously online, filled with outrage.
but with their near and dear they do not much engage.
All are trapped in a growing fad,
of being outspoken, opinionated, socially blissful but actually sad.
Will China take over the world tomorrow?
Will the environment suffer with irreversible pollution and sorrow?
Can we eat popcorn in a movie hall, happy and care free again?
Are global populations on a wane?
Will we colonize space or will we in earth remain?
So many questions remain,
the world is different but people are the same.
Lets choose love, happiness, sustainability and hope.
Lets get through this crazy, earthly covid kaleidoscope .
