They Say the Pandemic is Quiet

By: Keela Ruizanchez

They say the pandemic is quiet,

I say, it’s the loudest my city has been

People say, Are you sure?

Do you want to go to New York? It’s so loud and busy,

let’s go somewhere quiet and relaxing.

The tempo here is not like a song you listen to when you cry,

it’s more like a rock song

I’m so accustomed to

a place with fire trucks and traffic and people’s steps

I don’t get the people who say that this is relaxing,

I’m not used to this

It feels so empty

Nothing to do

Nothing to stare at

I can’t go out and feel the rush of this city

To someone else, that is not accustomed to the city,

it’s a headache, an annoyance-

but to those who live here,

the sound of the trains is the crashing ocean of the city,

it is the sound of the air conditioner buzzing in your head at night

that is the lullaby that drags you into deep sleep

So, when the city goes into lockdown, it feels different

My lullaby is being taken away from me