Before

 

Before we all knew what an N95 was

and a mask was something we wore on Halloween.

Before the restaurants closed their doors

and left the food at the curbside

to be scooped  up by hungry customers.

Before the kitchen table was turned into a classroom

and the teacher, the lunch lady and the janitor

were all the same person. 

Before the cashier was stationed behind Plexiglas

and we waited six feet apart standing

on a line of tape that had been stuck to the floor

to buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread.

Before the National Guard took over the school parking lots

placing boxes of food in the back of any car

whose driver wanted to wait in line.

Before the supply chain had broken it’s links

and we started counting on UPS and FedEx

to bring us everything from snow tires to underwear.