Ode to COVID-19 in the United States

nocturnal daydreams

trapped indoors

one, two, three,

five, sixseveneight, eleven

over three-hundred-thousand

no, one million cases,

but it would be zero,

disappear out of nowhere,

churches packed on Easter Sunday

shake hands and rejoice

as all return to work,

reopen the country

no masks in public,

re: wear cloth masks in public,

shoot up Lysol to kill the virus

it can't kill you if you kill yourself first

goodbye high school proms, college graduations,

nursing home visits, funeral services,

goodbye, grandma

hello childhood home and telecommuting

stimulus checks to make rent

while the unemployment site is down again,

no gatherings of ten or more

except outside the statehouse

Baskin Robbins, don't tread on me

it's my constitutional right to get a haircut

Boris Johnson has it

Chris Cuomo has it,

broadcasts from his basement

Tom Hanks donates antibodies,

everyone stay six feet apart

why isn't the WiFi working?

Joe Exotic and Animal Crossing

saviors and distractions

I'll kick your ass if you cough

into your hand one more time

the aisles are one-way,

can't you read?

Karen, no one ever died

from not getting a haircut

we're all getting restless

but you can't stop a virus with your AR-15