pandemic

Parallel Duck

By

If a duck can look forlorn, the female waddling at the corner of my street appeared so. I recognized her from the park a few blocks over. She and her mate, with a fabulous green head, show up each spring … Continued

Rant-in-Place

By

The Rant has emerged from our self-imposed exile inside a vat of Purell. We briefly considered checking in at the spa for the new tanning bed/Lysol cleanse (with a free coupon to the ICU of your choice!) but decided to … Continued

Pandemic Wisdom

By

A toilet paper roll in the hand is worth the five-hundred the clerk swears is arriving in the next delivery. The President has not come to praise America but to bury it. Measure twice, wash your hands sixty-seven times. Early … Continued

Rock Solid Art

By

The greatest art installation in America currently resides on a telephone pole a couple of blocks from my house. I discovered it on one of those long, aimless walks we all take now. Dogs have learned that what they believed … Continued

Pandemic Definitions

By

Social Distancing: Crossing to the other side of the street when approached by anyone, instead of just black or brown people. Toilet Paper: A mythical object once believed to exist in plenty, but hunted to extinction like the carrier pigeon. Sober: The … Continued

bible-belted: the pandemic series

By

bible-belted: pandemic one why are tanning booths & beauty salons open? an exquisite corpse. bible-belted: pandemic two on south beach, millennials drink and frolic. boomers aren’t worthy of attention. bible-belted: pandemic three at a local hospital, sixty-five year olds are … Continued

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pandemic

By

I Wallace Stevens published the poem “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” in 1917. The poem references Connecticut, where Stevens would hunker down as an insurance executive for the rest of his life, handling lawsuits from rejected claims. What … Continued