Grief is a curious thing.
You disappear inside an ocean of get well soons
And what can I do for you?
But what do you say when you can’t see the body
When elbow bumps replace hugs
And hand sanitizer is more common than flowers.
What do you say
when you say good-bye through video chat?
Those pixels can’t capture the stench of dried sweat
And the rhythmic hum of the ventilator,
A drumbeat in a sterile room.
You are left to ponder your existence on a screen.
What do you say
To unimaginable loss
Shrouded in the indignities of politics.
With 32,972 dead
What do you say?
I love you could suffice
But the cotton of the mask traps the words
And leaves you unmoored,
Drifting,
Alone.