Plague Poems – The Hundred-and-Eighth Week
By now we should know
that if we wait
to act
until the hospitals are full
than we have waited
too long.
*
Take a shovel
and dig
the hole need not be too large
a square foot should be sufficient
then kneel beside it
arch your back
and place your head in the hole
this is how
they advise you to prepare
for the coming wave.
*
Twelve hundred dollars
then six hundred dollars
then fourteen hundred dollars more
and test kits (don’t forget those)
a total of four test kits
that usually retail for
seventeen ninety-eight (each)
add it up
divide it by the pandemic’s length
that is what
your life is worth.
*
When you tire
of watching the waves
shift your focus for a time
to the vastness of the ocean
and remember
that in this moment
its level is rising.
*
Editorial Note: This is a collection of Plague Poems written between April 2, 2022 and April 8, 2022.
They were initially posted online on Twitter at @plaguepoems and Instagram at @plague_poems.
Throughout the duration of this crisis new poems will be posted regularly at that Twitter account, they will then be collected and reposted here in weekly increments.
*
Superstition dictates
that you must not speak
a demon’s name aloud
lest you should summon it
upon yourself
perhaps this is why
this superstitious land
no longer dares speak
the virus’s name aloud.
*
Do not accuse them
of mismanaging the pandemic
for that suggests
that they are trying
but doing a bad job
it is an unfair description
for it suggests that they are trying
but nevertheless failing
when in actuality
they have simply given up.
*
I admit I have fallen short
of the ambitious plans
I set for my pandemic self
so many books remain unread
so many projects remain unfinished
so many goals remain unreached
the only skill I have mastered
is convincing my friends
that I am alright.
*
Thank you for the invitation
but I must decline
though I am truly certain
your gathering will be wonderful
my fear of missing out
is overshadowed by
my fear of falling ill.
But thank you for the invitation
it is nice
to be invited at all.
*
According to a report
out of England
hearing loss may be
a symptom of the virus
which perhaps explains
why so very many
have stopped listening.
*
When we talk now
my friend laments how
he has not been sleeping
his head constantly aches
he struggles to focus
his limbs and back are sore
I ask if he has been tested
he tells me he has been tested
the results come back negative
but he is having a hard time
staying positive.
*
Contrary to the cries
of the paranoid poultry
we need not fear
that the sky is falling
but that we
have already fallen.
*
You are right
it really is unfortunate
that your favorite restaurant
has not survived the pandemic
but be mindful of your volume
as you lament this tragedy
there are some within earshot
who have lost much more
than their favorite restaurant.
*
Contrary
to the cartoonish joke
it is simply not the case
that we have tried nothing
and we are all out of ideas
for we have tried a great deal
(and much of it worked)
for there are plenty of ideas
(and many of them good)
but nevertheless we are choosing
to do nothing.
*
It is impossible to see a virus
with an unaided human eye
a microscope is required
in order to truly see it
and yet if you look around you
at the dense maskless crowds
you will be able to see
the virus everywhere.
*
A box of masks
is cheap
if you have twenty dollars
at home test kits
are an easy purchase
if you have eighteen buck
a PCR doesn’t seem expensive
when you have insurance
falling ill is manageable
if you aren’t paid hourly
the pandemic’s costs are bearable
if you can afford them.
*
Please excuse my negativity
but I must confess
that I am truly not looking forward
to the fourth year
of this wretched pandemic.
*
Considering that
the plague is behind us
it seems rather odd
how many people are falling ill
right in front of us.
*
The professional worrywarts
at the public health agency
are always trying to limit our fun
we are used to ignoring
their guidance, when they tell us
not to eat rare steak
and to avoid runny yolks
though it is worth remembering
that rare steak and runny yolks
are not contagious.
*
The plague
does not discriminate
it comes for rich and poor
it comes for young and old
it comes for all creeds and races
it comes for us all
indeed, the plague
does not discriminate
the blame
for its discriminatory impacts
rests not with the plague
but with us.
*
When you pull on your spring jacket
you will find in one of its pockets
an old mask
(one of the reusable cloth ones)
you must have left it there
many months ago
back when you were certain
that you would not still need
to be wearing a mask
by this spring.
*
*
Plague Poems…the following week
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