Health care workers ingest antiseptic air
They witness the tragedy of black bags
Encompassing death with frightful exhaustion.
Bodies drown in fluid-filled lungs
As lethal mucus replaces healthy oxygen.
Families huddle into sequestered confines
In pod-contained homes of quarantine.
The virus shoots invisible bullets of
Disease and devastation
Decimating societies as though a century ago.
Masks function as disposable barricades
Intercepting airborne particles of space-high sputum.
Anxiety reigns as the ruling class of emotions
As dwellers quiver in anticipation of inoculations.
People pay homage to previous-generation survivors
Providing papers citing enhanced age or medical condition.
COVID survivors succumb to pleas of guilt
For negotiation of facts or ability to hide.
They confess their game
To admit their blame.
Their blood boils and their hearts beat
Toward a relinquishing of solitude and isolation.
Their souls pray for a future
Crystallized by sprinkles of shared treats
Topped with syrupy smiles of blissful frolic and reconnection.
Just then, President Biden promises July 4th celebrations
If we wear our masks and get our vaccinations.
For neighborhood and backyard cookouts and BBQs,
Then ice cream, Popsicles, s’mores, and fireworks, too.
Shari Adler
Southampton and New York City