The End is Near

The End is Near

Crouched they remain, huddled together under a table
A last moment of life in a forever embrace
Chores not done, errands not run
Expectations changed in an instant
If people spoke “The end is near”
they were wrong
The end was there, under the ash
of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

Tickets tacked on the fridge; a home show, a concert, a movie
Planned moments of life frozen in time
Family unseen, friends not met
Expectations changed in the rolling flow of time
If people spoke “The end is near”
they were right
The end lurked somewhere, under the days
of Coronavirus in 2020 AD

They see the end nearing; coming towards them
like a cloud, like a heat, like an invisible force
Like a meandering stroll of death
They duck for cover. They crouch, embrace, wait
They adjust their expectations
What was valued yesterday is not what is valued today
The value of the present moment has inflated tenfold

Or has it?

Eyes focused on the past, blurred with disappointment
cannot see clearly
Minds distracted by the insignificant, overwhelmed by banality
cannot process properly
Ears tuned in or out, depending on the whim
cannot hear distinctly
Must one touch or taste or smell the face of history to understand it?

And people say:
“The end is near”