a pandemic grabs jerks twists and knocks us sideways we struggle to our feet try to resume carry on but our actions lack conviction we move to not stop stop not knowing why we should move streets are quiet we approach warily skirting each other smile through our masks we return sit on the sofa wait for our lives to be what they once seemed to be: unavoidable unalterable inevitable before we were jerked twisted thrown into this unknowable unfathomable indecipherable future
