Shelter in Place (A Poem in a Period of Yellow)

Crocus, snowdrop, daffodil. Expanding light.
Yards hedged by forsythia, yellow as
the Caution tape blocking off the playground.
No squeals of children, murmurings of moms.

Yards hedged by forsythia. Yellow as
slur – cowardly. Attacks on Asian-Americans.
Squeals of children, murmurings of moms
as school becomes the computer or kitchen table.

Slurs. Attacks on Asian-Americans.
There must be someone to blame.
School becomes the computer or kitchen table.
Today’s lesson: fear. Tomorrow’s: death.

There must be someone to blame.
Nurses wear bandanas or garbage bags.
Today’s lesson: fear. Tomorrow’s: death.
For distraction, we watch movies. Take walks.

Nurses wear bandanas or garbage bags.
On the news, a curve, climbing higher.
For distraction we watch movies. Take walks,
praise what we can.

On the news, a curve climbing higher,
Caution tape blocking off playgrounds.
Still, we praise what we can –
crocus, snowdrop, daffodil. Expanding light.