We call a few folks we haven’t seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Two of them have Coronavirus. One got it from her asymptomatic son.
The warm sun beckons me outdoors to enjoy a lazy, hazy, day of summer. I can hear car doors open as neighbor’s welcome visitors for a Saturday swim. I smell smoky meat on an outdoor grill. My mouth waters.
A map of the world shows the number of positive COVID19 cases as small and large blue dots. The earth is pockmarked with a deadly cystic acne, with outbreaks that maim and kill.
The light, bright summer splashes yellows and reds to tempt me out the door.
I want to join, I long to play outside before the day turns dim.
I check the USA numbers: 4.67 million cases with 156,000 deaths. The devil winks,
“Forget those numbers. See her beauty, caress her skin, place your naked feet in her grass.
She longs to blow her wind through your hair and kiss you with her gentle breeze.”
The devil moves closer and gets in my face. “She won’t cost much for a day of such joy,
You know you need her care. So peel off your mask and run to her arms,
Life without tasting her would be unfair.”
Two friends have the coronavirus and I picture the blue dots multiply
And crowd outside my front door.
I lock the door and sigh goodbye to a Summer day untasted.
Comments