Life ain’t been no crystal stair
for anybody since the year of our Lord 2020.
Stolen breath of millions flew away on wings of lies
reducing workforces to bare minimums
shutting
the entire planet
down.
Caregivers forced to recycle PPE
‘cause stingy powers that be
denied responsibility
letting a deadly virus run epidemically
free…
Hospitals became homes
war zones…
ground zero…
red caution tape decorations cordoned off crime scenes on every floor.
Bustling hallways
demoted to desolate corridors
where ghosts of remote workers past
haunt virtual realities
combatting biological warfare
that somehow slipped through cracks–
testing resolves of fixers
who intake the sick,
comfort the shut in,
analyze vitals,
labor to deliver our babies,
put us to sleep,
open then close us up,
bringing souls
back to life
cleaning up messes
suited in hazmat suits from head to toe
like astronauts in zero gravity
voyaging through space and time
barely breathing
intensively caring
reaching out to touch somebody’s hand
giving fist bumps instead
on a mission
from God
to deliver us from evil.
If you were clueless then as to who essential workers were,
you for sure know who they are now!
We’ve all lost too many
but learned
what strength,
courage,
using wisdom
in solitude
looks and feels like…
Our boots were made for walking.
Catch me outside…
mending broken hearts
with a ton of love.