Now that normalcy has been stripped
from the lives of every human on the planet
Early hopes dashed upon the unyielding second and third waves
Even ocean water is hard
when approached with velocity
Charts of infection
Charts of death
Climb like cliffs pushed upward by moving glaciers
Ever higher
Ever closer to where I stand
My sister-in-law, our niece, and my favorite cousin
they all caught it
Stumbling through the familiar symptoms
shocked and scared when Louisiana hot links are no spicier
than an Oscar Meyer hot dog
We all scuttle back into our shells
our homes carried on our backs
Living like Cher’s Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
Subsisting on the outskirts
of seemingly abandoned towns
Where the smiling selfies
Are a false veneer
posed rehearsed and curated
prior to posting
Everyone’s equilibrium is suspect
Now that normalcy has been stripped
from the lives of every human on the planet
We look into the red lenses and hold out our virtual hands
Ready to hug, ready to kiss, ready to love
Ready to touch again