Mundane
By Emma Stover
Mundane
the smile of a passing frienda hug from those who care
strangers faces on a walk
the slight breeze carrying
the scent of flowers
places of comfort
are often found in mundanity
the human actions we adore
are often overlooked
until the time
when they are no longer
the habits of life
taken for granted
laughing on the quad
dressed to the nines
for a picnic with friends
knowing what you could be missing
the burning desire for the return of normalcy
the wonder
what would have been had the world but stopped
and yet
this would not exist
i may not be here at all
you may not be here
so now, the wonder of what could have been
is the wonder of what could be
the fragments of regular life
creep into the new one we have
different than the past
not worse
Different.
This prompt was difficult to narrow down for me. I had a variety of ideas and didn’t have a single clue which one I should attempt. I realized I had spent a lot of time reflecting on the past year as it comes to a close. Despite the immense amount of fun I had during my first year at college, there was undoubtedly a much higher level of stress because of the current circumstances. I realized that the things I missed out most on were the fairly average, taken for granted activities. As I clicked through archive photos from the Watkinson, I found this one of five girls on the long walk. I instantly drew a connection to myself as my main group of friends here is made up of five girls. One of them was even wearing pants very similar to a pair Gill wears. I decided to take a stab at writing a poem of what I felt. I do not think it is an extraordinary poem, or a final draft even. However, it does encapsulate some of the thoughts I have had about what I have missed.