“This life is more than just a read-through…”
-Red Hot Chili Peppers 2002

I leave the house
in the dark to arrive
at the only grocery three towns
to the north before sunrise

try to fill my cart with items
on meager list only to find bare
shelves again a certain anxiety
seizing me between the
black enameled blankness

two trips to buy wipes
for the baby since the limit
now is (1) seemingly everyone
buying them up and little ones
left needy when all I want
is to have enough to drive
three counties to the west
and deliver them to the porch
of a waiting little mister
who isn’t even one
and unaware of the world
into which he’s been born

so many oppotunities lurking
to remake our messes into
lemonade with a more
generous sprinkling of love
hope and dedication to
things that may matter more
since we’ve now ample time
to ponder how to
preserve our health
preserve our globe
preserve our minds, spirits
preserve the idea of the Other

people scramble now
to retool their business
to try and keep employees working
to take time to check neighbors
to cater Kosher for Jewish shut-ins
to live the Greatest Commandment
to keep it all from slipping back
to the way it used to be.