One second away

By Sophia, Age 12

One second everything seems normal

The next, “ordinary” is a nonexistent word

It’s as if a nightmare is a reality

As if everyone’s worst fear has come alive

One second, family and friends gathered together 

The next, a distance that seems too great to break

It’s as if my most prized possession was taken away

As if the one thing that really mattered was gone

One second I was hugging my grandparents

The next, I was being kept from them

It’s as if I was now a virus; contagious

As if nobody loved me anymore

One second my weekends were spent with my grandparents

The next, my once fun weekends turned into dreaded days

It’s as if my real life has gone away

As if  “fun” isn’t a word anymore 

And as “normal” became more normal

So did the life I once led before

Because I know now and forever

I won’t take my grandparents for granted anymore