One Day the World Stopped—poem

One day, the world stopped
because of the thing.
We knew it was there
and knew it was dangerous
because, you know,
it left bodies in the dirt.

We all stayed in—
couldn’t touch,
shouldn’t meet,
mustn’t dance.
God forbid
we kiss.

Eventually, the thing got tired.
Besides, it knew it wasn’t welcome,
even though the grass grew better,
and the birds worried less,
and the air breathed deeper
as the humans breathed less.

I hope we remember
what we once did;
blocking airways,
blocking enemies,
blocking friends.
Let things mend.

One day, the world stopped.
Another day, it started again
and acted as if it had never stopped.
It does things like that.
I do hope we remember
that life is not long, 
and love is not free,
unless it is.

(Written at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020.)