How long is one second?
I move with the flow of time.
Being dragged along like the tail of a sad dog.
The clock continues its steady dance.
One minute is supposed to be sixty seconds but I swear it feels more like one-twenty.
Don’t look at the time...
Such a pathetic victory to see that more time has passed then I’d imagined.
On certain occasions, time will Mock me:
“You can’t make me move any faster.”
It says.
“I will slow down when you don’t want me to and speed up when you do.”
Two old adversaries.
Me and time.
We are well acquainted and I am just as stubborn.
Perhaps I’m not as stubborn as I am stupid because I know who wins in the end.
But I don’t intend to beat time.
I intend to put it in its place.
Before it takes me.
Time will be mine.
It owes me...
It owes me for the days it taunted me as a child, as I stood at the window, wondering if or when my mom would come home.
It owes me for the years I’ve spent. Slaving away at dead-end jobs. Trying to climb out of the impoverished conditions, I’d inherited.
Time owes me... a lot.
You may say time doesn’t owe me ****.
But I intend to collect.
Because I may not matter to time, but I do matter.
My suffering will not be in vain.
You see, I’ve learned one of time’s oldest tricks.
I will write my way in to my dreams.
The same way seconds turn to years.
O... N... E...
L... E... T... T... E... R...
A... T...
A.....

This is for the students who are losing hope:
The seniors who feel as though their accomplishments are amounting to nothing in the midst of this chaos. Those juniors who were finally going to get to go to prom and already went out and bought their fancy dresses. The sophomores who only got out of bed to see their friends. And the freshmen, what a way to start your high school experience. But to all the students who feel as though their best years are being ripped away from you, I promise you that your success is still your own and your dreams are still within reach. Just because you do not walk across the stage does not mean you have not earned your diploma. Do not give up hope to dance around in a beautiful dress, you will have more opportunities and if not, make your own
Your friends are only a phone call, a text, a Skype away. But don't forget that your family is around as well, hold on to those you love right now.
I know things seem so rough right now but there are still reasons to smile and rejoice.
The sun is still coming up and, as much as it doesn't feel like it, the Earth is continuing to spin and life will go on.
This is for those still out, working to make sure that we can all survive during the pandemonium:
The doctors, nurses, caregivers, janitors, grocery store workers, truck drivers, fast food workers, the mail people, the garbage people, and any essential workers. We see and acknowledge your sacrifices. We thank you endlessly for your devotion and can never repay all that you are doing for us right now. I know that you are risking everything, your own life, the wellbeing of your families, and possibly even your sanity to continue providing the services that we simply cannot live without. Your hard work and all that you are giving up is not going unnoticed nor unappreciated. Please, take care of yourselves as much as you are taking care of us.
I know things seem so rough right now but there are still reasons to smile and rejoice.
The sun is still coming up and, as much as it doesn't feel like it, the Earth is continuing to spin and life will go on.
This is to those sorry few who cannot seem to follow orders:
You are risking so much more than you realize, the worst has not yet struck and you are only fanning the flames. Please, for the love of whatever you hold close, listen to advisories. Keep to yourself. Do not spread this more than it is spreading itself. Human beings are dying in unnatural ways. There are those susceptible who are doing what they can but it really does take an army to fight this war. Stay at home, entertain yourself like the rest of us. This illness of the Earth will not pass if we do not take the steps necessary to let it.
I know things seem so rough right now but there are still reasons to smile and rejoice.
The sun is still coming up and, as much as it doesn't feel like it, the Earth is continuing to spin and life will go on.
To the susceptible, those clinging to hope and safety:
We stand with you (of course 6 feet away masks)
Stay hopeful and stay safe, take your medicine and wash your hands. Let other's know what is going on and do not be afraid to ask for help. There are so many willing to lend a (gloved) hand. The world is so full of fear and the NEWS is overwhelmingly negative. But there is light at this end of this tunnel and you can persevere. Stay positive and laugh as much as you can.
I know things seem so rough right now but there are still reasons to smile and rejoice.
The sun is still coming up and, as much as it doesn't feel like it, the Earth is continuing to spin and life will go on.
The list could go on, there are so many to reach. But to all, do not let this disease be the end of your happiness. So much is being taken away from all of us right now, some more than others. Acknowledge that, but also grow from it. The world has never been a fairy tale, we have all seen that and faced that reality with age. But in these trying time, cling to faith, walk with hope, and take this time to learn. As cliché as it may be, remember that there has to be a little rain in order for seeds to sprout and sprouts to bloom.
I truly understand how bleak this era appears but recall that we are living history, we are changing patterns and habits, we are making new connections (albeit not face to face), the Earth is healing itself, streams are clearing up, pollution is disappearing, lives are changing for better or for worse. This is an event in our lifetime, good or bad, that is happening. We cannot stop what has already made such a huge impact, but we can take it in stride and come together (not literally, please guys) to deal with this as all of humanity faces it.
Go in grace and for god's sake
Stay the **** home.

Maybe one day you'll feel okay.
But for now just sit and harbor the pain,
You'll be better for it in the end.
One day you'll be stronger than before.
But today vulnerability is a-okay,

Because in the future nothing will be able to conquer you.