poetry

Tatum Lovely, 12 (Pipersville, PA) Dear Corona Tatum Lovely, 12 Dear Corona, I sit alone in my room, drawing flowers. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m trying to get inspiration for poetry. Oh look, they’re chrysanthemums. Do you know what chrysanthemums represent? Death. Yeah, death. I guess you can relate to that. You bring death! What was it… five million people? That you’ve given a bouquet of chrysanthemums? Huh. Amaryllises represent pride. Are you proud of what you’ve done? I mean, it’s pretty impressive. You’ve brought pain, fear, and isolation to billions. You wipe us out, you make us cry, you put limitations on all we like to be and do. You’ve made yourself an enemy of… the world. You bring what all people deeply dread the most: loss of loved ones, or, themselves. You are a blanket that has been tossed carelessly over our little planet. I think a black blanket. A dark, thick, black blanket. You’ve added grief and gloom to perfectly fine days. But now, after all that despicable talk, I will draw you white roses for unity. You might lock us up in our own houses. You might take from us the most precious thing: life. And you might have forced us into a sense of revulsion for masks, making us feel like medical patients. And for shots, though they protect us. And for zoom calls, and kisses through a camera. And for social activities that now we see how much we taken for granted. But still, I draw you white roses for unity. Because though it is true your wicked ways have cost us, you have brought us closer together. We’ve spent more time with our immediate families than ever. Even the world is closer than ever because we’re all fighting the same battle, all together like the selfsame species we are. You certainly did not physically unite us, but hopefully you have in heart, mind, and spirit. Sincerely, Tatum Lovely