Instinct

There is nothing quite like the upset
of the world order of civilized
expectations in the face of a global
pandemic militating the shutdown of
society and commerce to strike a blow
against expectations of reduced longevity.
When people are faced with a meagre
pantry and the cold bright interior of a
refrigerator that should reflect a nation's
wealth in perishable food products
suddenly reflecting the hard truth of
scarcity, triggering the mind toward
starvation. Food staples whose end
destination in the distribution chain
was meant for hotels and restaurants
declared excess during forced closure
become waste to be quietly disposed of
as compost returning to the soil that
which was persuaded to emerge from 
the soil even while grocery shelves 
starkly empty alarm an already-rattled
public. A sudden rush to access seeds
starter vegetable and herbal plants as
spring, COVID and gardening converge
desperation leads to self-sufficiency.