A Corona Chronicle

A Corona Chronicle

Written by: Madison Gohlke, Auburn University 

It’s been a while since we’ve all been here

In the classroom once again

Seeing faces we haven’t seen in months

(Albeit without their chins)

We sip our coffee behind our masks

And clean our glasses constantly

Talk about the externships we missed

Or lament over surgery

We take our temperatures each day 

(Giving thanks for not being born dogs)

We Panopto, Zoom, and all the rest

(Professors yearn for analog)

We reek of GermEx and Rescue

As we return in the afternoon

Or we sit on the couch in comfy pants

As HonorLock scans the room

For months we stayed home, buffering

And worrying what the future might hold

We ached for our grandparents, family, friends

And panicked at the slightest cold

Even now that we’re back, everything’s changed

And normal’s a long-gone assumption

We change plans on a dime; staying home is just fine

We adapt with exceptional gumption

And the fear is still there, and we are all changed

More germ-conscious than ever before

But no matter what’s different, it’s good to be back

Seeing all of these faces once more