Masked

I looked up.
The sky was still clear
on a chilly fall day,
as I was walking with a latté in hand,
seeing streets filled with the midday rush,
and hearing the sirens scream in the distance.

The sun was not there.
It was hiding behind the grey sky.
Like us, it too was covered,
But it will appear again.

There I stood behind my cover,
smiling up at the sky,
as the breeze blew through me,
While people were out-
finding connection through sight,
And brief interactions in lattés.

We’ll look back on this blip in time,
where our smiles were once covered like the sun behind the sky.
until then we’ll see a small glimpse through the wrinkles in our eyes,
or hear the laughter in our voices.

Once the masks are off,
Smiles will beam through a room,
and light it up brighter than it has ever been before.

But we’ll wait.

Like we do for the sun behind a grey sky,
On a chilly fall day.

– Maree Rodriguez