My immediate vicinity showed signs of renewal
Coffee shops still sold from their doorways -- to-go only
There was an essential travel only edict
i rode BART to a dentist appointment in Berkeley
Episodes of automotive hysteria occurred among the youth
Paramount mosaic mural was uncovered at last
BART trains were sparsely occupied
On trips to the deserted planet
Downtown Berkeley
A ghost town in broad daylight
Mount Tamalpais across the Bay tending a flock of clouds
BART trip to Rockridge
with its own Twilight Zone
Oakland center nearly abandoned
Then the stay-at-home order was lifted
People were actually dancing in the street
Seeing another person became almost commonplace
Sign-painter wiping down her work at the forthcoming pizza hub
Then in February the nervously awaited day arrived
First shot of the Moderna vaccine at a peaceful location in Berkeley
Thank heaven
The eerie silence turned into hopeful quietude
People were happy about Regime Change
We had Winter rain but not enough
It's the new Normal the old Normal is now like a myth
Berkeley for the most part remained unpopulated
Here's the clinic but the action is around back
The vaccine then was still only for old folks and people with underlying conditions
Daughter takes Grandma home after her shot
touching after all the anxious months
Felt a bit strange afterward more so than after the first injection
Sunlight bothered my eyes and I felt an immediate need to urinate
Thick bushes afforded a private spot
I scurried home on BART
That night I got sick for two days,
a small price to pay
It was suddenly cherry blossom time
The California Poppies appeared
symbolic of my ongoing existence here in the West
January-March 2021
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