A new day has begun

Editor's Note:

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, governments across the world have taken strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Everyone's life has changed dramatically due to the pandemic, and we still don't know when we will finally defeat the invisible enemy. However, life moves on. In our series "My story of fighting COVID-19", we will share stories from our readers on how they are fighting against COVID-19 in their daily life. We hope these stories will inspire you.

[Photo by Cai Meng/China Daily]

The sun has set.
I write down tomorrow's classes before I forget.
I close my laptop,
fall on my bed with a plop,
Yet I cannot fall asleep.

For our university is closed until further notice.
One by one, my classmates return home to their family.
It’s getting dark and lonely.
Yet, I cannot go home.
For I must tell you, my home is far away,
The place with opposite night and day.
A small town called Oak Forest.
I plaster a smile on my face saying I'm fine.
Yet inside, I cry.
I’m all alone, confined in my dormitory like house arrest.
"Mm, this won't do", I shake the thought away from my head
As I get out of bed.
I hurry to my desk,
Grab my phone to make a call
"Hello? Yeah… you see…" It runs down my face… the tears and all.
It doesn‘t feel bad, to be honest.
One by one, I phone my friends, talking late into the night
"We should catch up on each other's classes too, right?"

Online learning is tough.
I stare at the screen for long hours,
Feeling as though my eyes are drenched in something sour.
Learning neurology from Zoom is tough.
"Professor, I can't see. Would you mind turning those brains?"
"Huh? What did you say? Make it rain?"
Muting the microphone is tough.
I can hear them chewing food in the background. Do they live in a forest? Why are the birds so loud?
Online assignments are tough too.
"Hey, did you finish writing the two procedures?"
"Huh? I haven’t even started one."
Nevertheless, we do have fun,
Looking at each other’s background photo, dressing up like a hobo.
"It doesn’t matter.' The professor would say.
"As long as it’ll make you stay."

Once more, lying on my bed, putting my phone down.
It is midnight now.
I sleep soundly, thinking of the day ahead.
Sometimes, problem blinds my eyes. Yet, the same problem can also open them.
The pandemic has shown me the unseen.
The magic in our mundane Mondays, if you know what I mean.
When was the last time I talked to my neighbors?
Helping each other and doing small favors?
When was the last time I met a stranger,
Who gave out canned food and hand sanitizers?
In a world filled with eccentricity,
The pandemic has confirmed my hopes for humanity.

The sun begins to rise.
The rooster begins its cry.
I wish it would stop.
I get up and open my laptop.
A new day has begun.

The author is a faculty member of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.