All

across

.

t

h

e

.

land

.

o

f

.

the

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

across

.

t

h

e

.

land

.

o

f

.

the

self-serving . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

there

.

w

a

s

.

a

certainty . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ there

.

w

a

s

.

a

certainty . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

a

t

–

–

–

there

–

–

would

be

.

n

o

.

need

.

f

o

r

.

worry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no

need

.

f

o

r

.

worry

.

i

n

.

the

land

.

o

f

.

the

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

land

.

o

f

.

the

self-serving . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

it

would

.

b

e

.

gone

.

b

y

.

spring . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

i

t

.

would

.

b

e

.

gone

.

b

y

.

spring . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

such

words

.

f

e

l

l

.

so

sweetly,

–

–

upon

.

t

h

e

.

armies

discreetly

–

–

never

seen . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

marching

.

t

h

e

.

disease

.

f

r

o

m

.

across

.

t

h

e

.

seas . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

city,

.

b

y

.

city,

.

b

y

.

city . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

street,

.

b

y

.

street,

.

b

y

.

street . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

Covid-19 . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

now . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

with

.

s

o

.

many

suffering,

.

a

n

d

.

crying,

.

a

n

d

.

dying . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

what

does

.

i

t

.

mean?

–

–

–

.

.

.

what

does

.

i

t

.

really

mean?

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

Covid-19 . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

each,

.

a

n

d

.

all,

.

a

n

d

.

every

member

.

o

f

.

those

–

–

select

societies

.

o

f

.

bickering

teams

.

a

n

d

.

self-serving

deceit . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

complacency . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

conceit . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

refusing

.

t

o

.

believe,

.

a

n

d

.

taking

.

t

o

.

the

streets . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

screaming:

“It’s my economy!”

“So set me free!”

–

–

–

.

.

.

“It’s my economy!”

“So give me liberty!”

–

–

–

.

.

.

because

.

i

f

.

you

don’t . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

i

f

.

you

don’t . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

will

still

.

d

o

.

as

I

please!

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

will

still

.

d

o

.

as

I

please!

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I

will

still

.

b

e

.

having

.

m

y

.

parties!

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

will

still

.

b

e

.

engaging

.

i

n

.

my

social

activities!

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

will

still

.

b

e

.

freely

drinking

.

a

n

d

.

dancing

.

i

n

.

the

streets!

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

there’s

nothing . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no,

there’s

nothing

–

–

which

.

c

a

n

.

stop

me!

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ no,

nothing

–

–

which

.

c

a

n

.

stop

me!

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ not

even

.

y

o

u

r

.

decrees!

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ not

even

.

y

o

u

r

.

Covid-19!

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

the

cold

.

a

n

d

.

the

cruel,

–

–

defiant

–

–

absurdities

–

–

refused

.

t

o

.

take

heed,

–

–

even

though

minds

–

–

could

clearly

think . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

even

though

eyes

–

–

could

plainly

see

.

t

h

a

t

.

each

.

a

n

d

.

every

liberty

–

–

could

plant

.

t

h

a

t

.

seed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ could

plant

.

t

h

a

t

.

deadly

seed

.

o

f

.

doom,

.

a

n

d

.

disease,

.

a

n

d

.

dread,

.

a

n

d

.

defeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

day,

–

–

after

day,

–

–

after

day,

–

–

after

day . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

week,

–

–

after

week,

–

–

after

week,

–

–

after

week . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

beat,

–

–

after

beat,

–

–

after

beat,

–

–

after

beat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

Covid-19 . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

So,

what

will

.

t

h

e

.

final

reading

be

.

o

n

.

each

.

o

f

.

these

obscenities?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

will

.

t

h

e

.

final

reading

.

b

e

.

when

.

t

h

e

y

.

become

.

o

u

r

.

history?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

will

.

b

e

.

the

final

read?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

will

.

b

e

.

the

final

read?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

will

.

b

e

.

the

final

read?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Will

.

i

t

.

be

–

–

one

.

o

f

.

cruelty?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Will

.

i

t

.

be

–

–

one

.

o

f

.

murder?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Will

.

i

t

.

be

–

–

one

.

o

f

.

atrocity,

.

d

o

.

you

think?

–

–

–

.

.

.

defeat,

–

–

after

each

.

a

n

d

.

every

–

–

crushing

defeat . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

Covid-19.

Reflection: This was a reflective-themed poem that I wrote back in April of 2020 when witnessing the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic unfold. I played the song “We Work the Black Seam” by Sting repeatedly at low volume in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.