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