Covid Carousel
©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Luis Alberto on Unsplash
A merry-go-round is Covid, friends.
Somehow, we will ride through it.
The CDC has put out info.
Why don’t we review it?
The list of symptoms has grown long
and varies quite a lot.
Testing is mostly accurate
(except for when it’s not).
It’s good to wear a mask, unless
you touch it with your fingers.
Wipe down each surface carefully;
this pesky virus lingers!
It lives on surfaces for two days––
or 14––or so.
(The shorter time when it dies quick;
the longer, when it’s slow.)
Six feet away’s okay, but only
if you’re in the yard.
While running, make it 10…And be sure
you don’t breathe too hard!
It’s safe to order out, but
packaging is kinda risky.
So trash it all, then nuke that meal
until it’s singed and crispy.
And thank your lucky stars that kids
are pretty much immune;
unless they get sick anyway,
which means we spoke too soon.
But never fear, a cure or vaccine’s
coming any day
Herd immunity works too.
(Don’t catch it anyway!)
Those nasty germs are all around.
Stay in, where you can hide.
Then bump up your immunity
by spending time outside.
Beware of boats and beaches,
but give liquor stores a sail.
Do sanitize your hands and groceries,
packages and mail.
Don’t leave your house, but if you must,
wear tons of PPE.
No knuckles, hugs, or handshakes.
That’s the way it’s gotta be.
Work gainfully or S-I-P?
Each side has its complaint.
To you, your job’s essential.
To some governors, it ain’t.
The summer heat will kill this thing
for sure, unless it doesn’t.
The CDC was always right,
except for when it wasn’t.
What’ll it be? New normal?
Back-to-normal? Twilight zone?
Depends on who your leaders are
and which state you call home.
So no worries, America.
We got this thing, for sure.
Covid will stay the same, be gone,
get worse, or have a cure.
Remember, “There’s no i in team,”
but Covid has an i.
So hang on, grant each other grace,
and strive to unify.
(If we can just meet in the middle,
maybe we’ll get by!)
∞§∞
The ups and downs of Covid, as round and round we go, are enough to throw anyone off balance. Just thought a bit of humor and irony might be useful right now.
My deeper message is to hang tough and hang together. No one can have a lock on what’s right or wrong when the facts are still in flux. We will climb down off these colored horses eventually. When push comes to shove, I still have faith in this country and its citizens…but we do need to tamp down the rhetoric and meet each other halfway. We all have a say in this, and our leaders need to consider that building team feeling goes much further than building resentment does, especially in a free society. Leaders have responsibilities, but citizens have rights and voices that must be respected. Citizens also have a civic duty to respect others and use good judgment in their behavior. That said, politicians at every level must remember who elected them. They are representatives, not parents, so “because I say so” won’t stand for long. Neither will “my way or the highway.” We are all adults here, and we will do much better if we take that into consideration and act accordingly. As Grandma used to say, “You catch more flies with honey that with vinegar.” So let’s spread some of that honey around and sweeten the dialogue!
Tags: CDC, coronavirus, Covid, pandemic, politics, unity
