day ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED and SEVENTY EIGHT

wash your hands

the mundane has become

my major activities

time carved out for washing dishes

or sweeping crumbs

and dust from off the floor

treated like i’d just run a marathon

wiping down old wine stains

while in other areas here i make them new

major accomplishments

soaping the handle on the front door

sterilizing light switches and cabinet knobs

not beginning to get drunk

until at least three o’clock

i’m staying in

and staying six feet apart from all of you

but social distancing has always been my trip

that is to say…i’m doing what i can

i don’t know if it’s enough

to come through to the other side

or what it’ll all even look like then

we’re locked up and down

and millions of us are getting sick or going broke

while the president leans smug on tv

fighting with his own inflated ego

casting game show bets

on who’s allowed to live

and who’s allowed to die

more worried about the stock market

then your bones and blood and flesh

because the rabid dog of capitalism

is still out there, my friends

salivating and spewing its virus

while it’s currently tied up in chains

to a budding spring tree

waiting just waiting to strike

landlords and corporations

turning all of those mom and pop greasy spoons

into taco bells and mickey d’s

your taverns into TGIFs

with a capital one bank on every block

a slice of dominos or pizza hut

target wishes and wal-mart dreams

you say you want a revolution

but most likely you’ll have a coke and a smile

you’ll shut the fuck up

and let capitalism have its way

so stay in and stay safe everyone

zoom me and i’ll zoom you

send you my top ten lists for everything

but first

please

please

please

make sure

to wash your hands.

--John Grochalski