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Yesterday

By Mike Zielinski

Apr 16, 2020
Mike Zielinski

With apologies to The Beatles …

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so critical.
Now it looks as though they were trivial.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be.
There’s a COVID-19 shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday vanished suddenly.

Why it had to go I don’t know, it wouldn’t say.
The coronavirus snuck up on us before social distancing became a way of life.
Now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday, life was chockful of freedom.
Yesterday, I could go to work, go to theaters, go to concerts and dine in restaurants.
Yesterday, kids could go to school and we all could watch sports.
Yesterday, life was such an easy game to play.
Now I need to hide away at home.

Yesterday, grocery shopping didn’t require meticulous sanitation to save lives.
Yesterday, I could go out and not wear a mask unless I was going to rob a bank.
Yesterday, I only wore gloves when it was cold.
Yesterday, I could hear someone cough without wincing.
Yesterday, I could cough without worrying.
Now I long for yesterday.

Yesterday, I could go for a haircut or go clothes shopping.
Yesterday, I could shake hands with people or hug my mom and grandkids.
Yesterday, I could talk to neighbors without shouting from 13 feet away.
Yesterday, normal was, well, normal. Now will normal ever be back?
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

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