We thought we had it all,
We never realised our complicated, interrelated lives could fall
Apart so easily,
Our powerful, vulnerable society knocked off course
By a force of nature.
Unmoored and distressed
By the loss of our shared sociability
That is the foundation of our humanity,
We are for now a collection of Crusoes,
Each marooned on an island of isolation, not knowing what may lie over the horizon,
Finding new ways to maintain old ties,
Having to explore our inner resources.
When rescue eventually arrives
How much of the old us will have survived?
Our best, I hope
To rebuild damaged lives.