Sometimes when I get a random surge of creativity, I write short impressionist poems/stories. Here’s the first one:

The new reality

A sea of masks spreads out before my eyes. White and emotionless, blue and clinical, colourfully cast in fabric – all obscuring the intended display of feelings. Only the eyes peek out over the edge, but you can’t fool the eyes.

There’s no faking the look in one’s eyes, no hiding the depth of feelings inspired by the moment. We’re all hiding behind actual masks now, but we’ve never been more on display, more human.

You can force a smile, fake a kind word, but you can’t fool the eyes. A visit to the shopping centre has never felt quite so raw.