When the World Stood Still

It started far, in whispered tone
A city locked, a street alone
The news grew loud, then louder still
And then —
the world
just held
its breath

The schools went dark
the planes stood down
We all stayed in
no streets, no town
We smiled through screens
we learned to wait
The days moved slow
behind the gate

When the world stood still
we broke apart to heal
Kept our distance close
to show what love can feel
When the world stood still
and silence filled the air
We lost our way —
but we were there

We baked, we cried
we missed the sound
Of hallway noise
of playground ground
We danced alone
we learned to teach
And held our kids
just out of reach

When the world stood still
we learned to count the cost
Not just in charts
but in the lives we lost
When the world stood still
and time forgot to run
We missed the touch —
of everyone

We argued loud
on who was right
On masks and shots
and civil rights
We fought at home
we lost some friends
And still don’t know
where it all ends

But nurses stayed
and doctors fell
The checkout smiled
inside her shell
We clapped at eight
we cried at ten
And prayed for air
to breathe again
We said too much
or said too little
Hearts got hard
minds went brittle
But not all harm
was born from hate
Most came from fear
and came too late
Let’s speak,
let’s grieve —
let’s now forgive

When the world stood still
we searched for something true
A kinder voice
a point of view
When the world stood still
we found our strength to live
Not to forget —
but to forgive

And when the world
will turn once more
Let’s not hold rage —
just keep the door
We can’t undo —
but we can forgive
And that’s
how we begin
to live.