I’m a self-starting engine
But I’m running on empty
Gasping for some fumes
Solitary without a choice
Sentenced to house arrest
Isolated with no helping hand
With a sociopath in charge
Incompetence is his recipe
Brewing malignant neglect
Extended to those suffering
With greed the sole ingredient
Thin the herd-rule the world
I postulate that I still can believe
Everyone is worried more and more
A deadly virus is on the loose
It has invaded the USA from shore to shore
Millions of germ cells have been introduced
Social distancing is a new concept
We all have to embrace these days
People need time to process it
All the hand-washing really will pay
It seems that oldsters are the most in need
As they can’t easily fight this virus dread
As well as the younger people indeed
It seems many hard days lay ahead
Schools are closing their doors earlier
Then they had ever planned to do
Also restaurants and department stores
Are shuttered up to stop this flu
It is hoped that we all can strive
To treat each other with care
In a few months we all hope to arrive
At the end of this pandemic scare
Let’s all lift our hands and hearts together
And pray that we soon will be free
And hope our economy will weather
This awful disaster from sea to sea
Let’s join hands to help our brothers
The homeless and destitute in many lands
Refugees and kids without mothers
Living in tents on hot desert sands
World
I have never seen you
get like this.
Is something wrong?
You know you could
tell me and
I would not judge you
because really it seems
like all the people
populating you
are now forced
to go to their rooms
for a time out.
Anyway, I do hope
you get out of your funk
and that we can all
finally come out and play
and when you
finally speak
please take off that
protective face mask
so we can hear
exactly what
you have to say
More at http://www.ivanjenson.com/.
everybody’s gonna make me sick
every surface is contaminated
don’t stand so, don’t stand so
don’t stand so close to me
please don’t cough or sneeze
just wake me when it’s over
The front window-sills of houses
In Noe Valley,
San Francisco’s
High-end suburb on the hill
Above the Mission,
Are galleries for
Placards these days.
Held fast to pane glass with Scotch Tape
Are tack-board admonishments
To neighbours unnerved by
The continued march of Corona,
Bearing words that soothe:
EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.
WE WILL SURVIVE.
WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
And then, Mister
Teddy Bear makes his appearance.
Stuffed wool, thread and varnished button eyes
Comprises our friend’s being.
Little Teddy sits
In the window-sill of a house
Soaking up the morning sun,
Just chilling, passing small
Children on Jersey Street
Enjoy his cute, adorable,
Calming presence. Tiny fingers point up to their find:
Little Teddy
Kicking it, calm and lounging
Next to a hand-drawn
Placard, reminding block residents
What Hunter’s Point, Sunnydale,
Seminary, Eastmont and I
Have always known to be fact:
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
A child’s bed-time companion
Moved on up
To the front of the house.
He’s on constant display
Like a hard-plastic preening
Mannequin in Neiman Marcus’
Store-front window,
There in the window-sill
As a plush symbol
For these strange days,
Where breathing the air
Without a masque on
Around others
Is unhealthy.
Little Teddy
Reassures us
That these days
Don’t have to be scary.
He tells us
Non-verbally
That if we stay safe,
If we keep our connections
Despite the isolation,
Despite the miles,
EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.
________________________
W: Summer Solstice 2020
*ITALIAN: “Little bear”.
We live in a scary
World today
It’s different than
Before
No more hugs kissing
Our happiness gone away
Like never before
The virus has taken our
Loved ones away
Families suffering
Like never before
The fear of the unknown
Has arrived
The worry of what will happen
Tomorrow to you and me
Coronavirus on our mind’s
Coronavirus everywhere
Our lives in danger
Like never before
We practice social distancing
Every day to keep the virus
At bay as we shop in different ways
Were asked to stay at home
Like never before
When will this
Virus ever go away
But I promise
I’ll love and pray for everyone
Every day.
I had nearly nothing to do
And so much time to do it
Rearranged each room for Arc Digest
Every drawer is now clean and redone
All of my socks and my jockey shorts
Passionately ironed and neatly arranged
Shined shoes put back alphabetically
Clothes closets emptied and rehung
Total grooming plus daily mani/pedis
Ordering food online a daily highlight
Meals planned for the next six months
Rewatched past seasons of everything
E-mailed annoyingly and repeatedly
I wearily got up the very next day
And started the list all over again