Apocalypse

The world is so wild now,
   it’s mind-boggling
       to try
       to describe
           the crazy.

We’re living in a movie –
   probably many.

People are dying
               daily
   all across the world
     from a virus
       no one can see
               fully understand
                   or fight against.

This pandemic is incomprehensible
                        inconceivable
   with everyone social distancing
                        quarantined
                    on lockdown
                    or under martial law
                       in some places –
     terms most of us
       have never used
          in conjunction with one another
               or probably even
          in a sentence before.

People are existing
   in a panic,
     hoarding toilet paper
                  paper towels
            and bottled water.

Constant emails
   all say the same thing:
     our business is following CDC recommendations
       and adding extra precautions
                                procedures
             to handle everything, such as
                                sanitizing surfaces
                                washing our hands frequently
                 (apparently that wasn’t happening previously?)
                                providing paid-time off for employees
                                   so they don’t show up to work sick
                 (evidently that wasn’t happening before either)
                      and even taking employees’ temperatures
                         before they clock in
                             to make sure we are keeping the world
                                      as safe as possible.

The economy has tanked
      businesses have closed
      tens of millions of people
         in the US alone
            are now unemployed.
Kids are out of school
   parents have been forced
       to become homeschool teachers,
    and the disparity of class
                           and privilege
                               is quite apparent.

Yet for many,
   not much is happening
     day to day
        or
     week to week.
Lots of people
   are losing track
     of weekdays
     and weekends
         because they all blend together.

The world
   has managed
     to
        s
         l
          o
           w
     its insane pace.
It’s quieter
    less frenzied
    and the air
     is cleaner.

Many politicians are actually
   (sort of)
     working together
           for the good of humanity.

Healthcare workers
   farmers
   ranchers
   grocery store clerks
   teachers
   delivery service people
   law enforcement
   the National Guard
   food processing plants
   food banks
   and domestic violence prevention organizations
      don't get enough credit,
         yet they are all
            helping us through this.

No one else is really going
     anywhere.
Millions of people
   can’t go to work
     or have no job left
        to go to.
We have been told
   not to travel
     or visit
        with friends or family in person,
   but rather to stay at home
     and keep distancing
        from each other.

But we can still
   have food delivered
   stream almost anything we want to watch
       on our phones
                 tablets
             or TVs
   and order all the things
     from Amazon –
          never mind the minor shipping delay.

And there are
   no zombies.

It’s the strangest apocalypse
                 ever.