
Tameka Mullins
stranded
without words
and community
darkness
holds
all power
but they knew that
lines stretched out for miles to vote
in heat
& cold
a virus
wraps itself around us
& takes hold of
the young
and old
but they knew that
on islands
in villas
and on tony city streets
and in towns
sanitized by
sameness
washed white with money
the glare of complicity
is so bright
that midnight seems sunny
but they knew that
divided
two worlds
on one earth
one screaming
begging
crying for relief
the other
in denial
about who
is really
the thief
but they knew that
when sleep was sacred
we dreamed
about beaches and family
lovers
weddings
and adventures abroad
but now
vaccines and masks
face shields and flasks
invade our subconscious
so slumber feels like
a socially distanced
task
but they knew that
we were becoming
too colored
and filled with too much hope
the lines were blurring
bringing us closer
even in the midst of the chaos
we were growing
it had to be stopped
how best?
allow disease to pervade
and
leave us
stranded
with nothing left to
save us but a vote
that they can suppress
but nonetheless
they knew that
