Forced away from our neighbors IRL
we are closer to the small patch of world
that is our home
with our closest family

with more time than we’ve had for a long
time

and a bright shiny portal
blinking at us regularly
catching more of our attention
with each blink

the Web world
our non-neighbors
acquaintances we don’t see often
text,email,faceTime,slack,github,…

and the farther afield we go
the more striking the similarities

masks, grocery shelves, crowds that shouldn’t be
supportive actions at socially-appropriate distances
heroic nurses and bus drivers and butchers
and also fear
creativity from people like we’ve never seen
virtual drinking parties
shared enjoyment of the same outdoor air
cleaner than its been in decades
music making across balconies
and still many fears

everywhere it’s the same

in earlier or later stages of the season
passing across the globe with a path
unpredicted by any astrological pattern

i am thirsty for the stories
from where you are
i can tell you what it is like here