As we learn to live under the “Stay at Home” edicts, Ev and I shop at 7:00 at Publix. They have special hours for seniors. We divide up the shopping list, carry our own bags, quickly shop and depart, sanitizing our hands as soon as we get into the car. We’re thankful businesses like this care about us, but as seniors, we’ve lived through countless crises, and hopefully will survive this one. This, it se
NEW NORMAL
Betty Whitaker Jackson
bettyjackson.net© April 9, 2020
We grey-heads are invited
To shop at seven a.m.
Feeling oh so special
We rise early from our beds.
Arthritic joints complaining
We’ve earned our wrinkled brows
Who thought we’d eagerly await
The chance to stand in line?
We have some things in common,
Octogenarians we
Determination, grit, and resourcefulness
Were learned through struggles we’ve seen
But nothing could prepare us
For this early morning scene.
Cued up in lines, our lists clamped firmly
We wait for doors to open.
Here for early shopping Wednesday
Hoping to find the treasures
TP, paper towels, and eggs.
Hubby and I divide and conquer
Our hopeful lists of necessities
To get us through the next week
Of isolation’s destiny.
Stay six feet from each other
Wear gloves and masks and such
No facial recognition, no handshakes, conversations.
No “How’re the grandkids?” queries
And certainly, no hugs,
Bring our shopping bags, don’t touch the carts,
Survive another day.
What has our dear world come to
When the niceties are lost?
Oh, sure, we could use an app, I suppose,
We’ve learned Zoom and Skype and such
But why waste an opportunity like this
To get out of the confines for once?
Our needs are few, we’ve forgotten the wants,
The dreams of lives of leisure
Retirement’s a crock when we look at the clock
And remember the years we dreamed
Of fun in the sun, vacations galore,
And disposable funds we could count on,
Now we stare at statistics
Afraid and alone
Knowing a silent enemy is lurking
To deprive us seniors of the right to life
And dampen our hopes once again.
We send more sympathy cards than greetings
For birthdays or weddings or births
Our address book list grows shorter
As we dismiss those we’ve loved and held close.
These two months have shown what’s so vital
To shutter, withdraw, stay at home
The very antithesis to live, love, and dream
We’ve thought we’d be able to do.
But we’re thankful for our rich blessings,
We rose to face a new day,
God’s sovereign, He still rules creation
And loves us, we know we can pray
That this struggle will pass too
Like others we’ve known through the years.
It’s just that this one is different
Contrary to what we believe.
We can’t have dinner together,
For “What could we possibly prepare?”
The grocery shelves show sparse resources
And the law says we can’t be together.
Though we’re honored that stores give us privilege
To shop early this morning once more,
The sad thing is we’d rather
Greet our loved ones we’d hold so dear
With their joy in telling us we’re special
Not feeling ignored, on the shelf, protected
We’d love to be part of the fabric of life
For just a little while more.
We’ve been their proud protectors
For our children, their hopes and their dreams,
And nurtured the next generations
Determined to help them succeed.
Now the tables have turned
And the country calls us vulnerable
We’re not so sure we’re there
It’s not the way to feel care.
We’re thankful, nonetheless
For the privilege shopkeepers are giving
So we can rise early to beat the crowds
Self-centeredly scurrying around us.
We’ll focus, find what we can at a leisurely stroll,,
Thankful for what we can find
To keep us sequestered and healthy
Until that better time
When society can join together
As a family thankful and whole
And things return to normal
If that, for a little while.
We’ll again tighten our belts, find a new goal
And sacrifice for the common good.
We’ve done that before, all our lives, so it seems
We can lead in that endeavor
We’ll go without, we’ll do what it takes,
For us seniors shower wisdom on the others.
Those of us left have lessons to teach
Showing needs replace wants every time
And simple things bring pleasure
When we look for them, treasure them, finding joy
Perhaps we’ll be kinder, gentler, forgiving
And spend our lives wisely next time.
ems, is the new normal, and we all will be changed by it.
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