Sunday, December 13, 2020

Gwendolyn Fleischer

A  Time for Healing

She stands at the station

luggage at her feet

waiting for

waiting for 

waiting for no one to meet

starting a new existence

away from pandemic freak show

no more looking back


the train was moving

she is moving 

file an address change 

life change

overwhelmed and terrified

information overload.

no more looking back


knock,  knock,  knock

only see

can't see

must see

knock,  knock,  knock

on her new front door

no more looking back


knock,  knock,  knock

opportunity is knocking

beckoning her

to spellbinding

and to strength 

to a mirrored beauty\

to colorful absurdity

away from freak show antics

from stories she's not written

no more looking back


to a time for new life

to a time for new love

to a time for healing

no more looking back



Crazy Quilt of 2020


From the palindrome of 1-20 -21

there is no more looking back

Hindsight is 2020

there was so much to be done

Early on the Covid

and that river of denial

hoarding PPE and masks

toilet paper, paper towels

Clorox even Spam

six  feet social distancing

even when in passing

restaurants closed, and shopping malls

record numbers out of jobs

records numbers line for food banks

quarantined and sheltered in our homes

those who can work by remote

the children go to school by google

and by zoom

only 10 people in your safety bubble

still the deaths grow higher

trucks for morgues line the streets

frontline workers reuse their masks

as they intubate the dying

so much lying and fake news

alternative realities

and educated folk

buy this s*** sinker, line and hook.

Then came the 8 seconds 

George Floyd took to die

I cannot breathe I cannot breathe

Mass protests took to the streets

Armed police shot and tear gassed

Moms, elderly, and standers-by.

A photo op in front of church

just for PR sake.

Finally November 3 

a new leader chosen by the people

no concession only lawsuits

each day we inch much closer

Court has struck down lawsuits

throwing out lots of ballots

No Thanksgiving for families

no Christmas either.

So much defiance of rules

Vaccine is on the horizon

This is a year that will be told

to the grandkids

A true Ripley's Believe it or Not

After  1/20/21 I am praying

a calm will settle the land.

So many believe the outrageous lies

and assaults on democracy

So many going to bed hungry

so many out on the streets

It will take many a moon to recover

get back to peace in the land

peace in our hears

so we walk hand in hand. 

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