Social Distancing

Sophia Nguyen

TV Sophia Nguyen “Social Distancing”

Live Reading of "Social Distancing" by Sofia

Acrid scented chemicals entangle in the static air

Maybe if I allow them into me, I’ll be clean

Ink stained cotton conceals a reddened nose and dry lips

I cannot breathe, therefore I am safe

Powdered nitrile gloves outline sharp knuckles

I must be careful not to let my bare skin touch them once I return

Open wounds peering through cracks in thin, leathery skin suffocate under the plastic

Stinging hands are inconsequential… I must be clean

Beleaguered eyes peer at the empty space

Is this distance safe enough? No… further away

Heavy footfalls pounding out a leisured beat

Slow down, don’t get too close

An unseen smile to the eyes of a passerby

Why bother when they cannot see you?

The next is ignored.

Don’t waste your time with strangers

Vibrations in a side pocket

There are more important things to worry about

Fluorescent strings of unread messages lengthen

You have no energy to waste on friends

Cement walls and dark windows greeted with a grimace

Home sweet home

Ceiling illuminated by more outstretched, glowing hands

Isolation must be fully realized.

Eyelids slide shut as they dwindle away.

It is called social distancing, isn’t it?

About Sophia...

Grade: 11

Bio: She plays the trumpet in the Heritage Wind Ensemble. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing creatively and drawing.

What is your main source of inspiration?

I mainly derive inspiration from my own emotions and personal experiences. I find that this allows me to add more intensity to my work as well as functioning as a means of catharsis, in order to relieve stress and relax.

What motivated you to write this piece?

Because I was unable to connect physically with all my friends and family members, it led me to develop a feeling of emotional disconnection. In addition, I originally had germaphobic tendencies so the pandemic exacerbated the issue for me, weakening my desire for social interaction, even if it was through a screen. I had taken the opportunity for some alone time, and it ended up extending for longer than I had intended, which led me to joke around that I was social distancing in the truest form: both physically and emotionally. Funnily enough, it was this joke that inspired this piece.

Do you write sporadically or regularly?

I write pretty frequently, which is partly due to the fact that I am the president of The Writer's Circle club at American Heritage, which encourages and inspires me to write more routinely.

Photo Credits: Image by Neil Adakonis on 1983 via Smithsonian Institution https://www.si.edu/object/ibm-pcjr-personal-computer:nmah_905913?page=2&edan_q=Computer&destination=/search/collection-images&searchResults=1&id=nmah_905913

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