sorry, it’s long

 

Hollowed

(a citizen’s report)

 

It’s Monday

I feel scoured

Too many things

Eye strain

Trouble reading

That’s a hard one

Trouble writing

That’s harder

Pain in my shoulders

Onset of arthritis?

My nose hurts,

Too

Headache behind my eyes

My head feels full

These days, I have to hope

It’s only a cold

Or a sinus infection

Normal diseases

That don’t take life

As easily as they used to

 

I’m tired

But sleep poorly

My head hurts against

The pillows

And now my car is broken down

The mechanic so far doesn’t

Know what’s wrong,

But I have no vehicular

Escape from the monster

Living above me, making

House-shaking noise because

She can

The landlord doesn’t care

She must be angry about

So many things

 

But I breathe

I move my limbs, if

Slowly

I have food from before

I lost my car

And where there’s life, there’s hope,

Which might be Tolkien

Or Aesop with an animal

Tale—with animals who may

Or may not have tales—

I don’t know

 

It’s a rainy day,

But so far not the interesting

Kind

The sky is featureless

There is evidence of drops

Against the window

And because this is all

Not enough, the local news

Broadcasts a tornado watch

 

Then goes on to report

New cases and new deaths

Republicans want businesses open

Democrats want people safe

I’d like to think the economy is

People, too

Maybe once it was

And will be again

Not now

Not yet

 

If there’s a reopening of the state

Or when it happens,

It will go part by part

There will be no business as usual,

Which I think could be

A chance to change the usual

 

My medication’s off

Because the insurance company

Made mistakes it doesn’t want

To correct,

So I have to find a new way

To have what I need

I don’t feel pushed out because of

The virus

But for typical reasons

To talk about business as usual

 

People without symptoms:

Are they sick or

Carriers?  Such possibilities, even

If viable, will add

To fear.

I understand

 

I hear some rumbling

A hungrier storm might be

On the way

A storm that has its need as well

It’s Monday

Half a day ‘til midnight

And in the darkness

And the Tuesday vigil

What hope might come from watching?

I will simply try to sleep

Failing or unfailing

 

C L Couch

 

 

Photo by Noah on Unsplash

Schweiz

surgical mask, or procedure mask, intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and certain healthcare procedures to catch microorganisms shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer’s mouth and nose