As the world reels,
encapsulated in these four walls,
Feels unnatural.
5
The daily murmur of the tree outside my balcony,
A million possibilities for my living room’s furniture,
Books stacked waiting to be read,
Canvasses drying in a corner,
Bonded pups who found their forever home; chaos is a noise to them.
4
Fabuloso & Clorox swirling on my hardwood floor,
Grapefruit scented candles masking this recycled air,
Clean fur,
And the foul stench of post-covid hand sanitizer,
Welcome the ghosts of my past social life.
3
Heavy bass permeating through the wall,
Who failed to tell my neighbor’s we were meant to endure this alone?
The crunch of a dead wasp against my broom.
Finally a visitor, and yet unwanted.
2
Tension,
So much,
tension.
It makes its home in the space between
my skin
and
what I longed this year to be.
1
Hope coats my taste buds.
At times,
I find it peaking through the carbonated musings of my sparkling wine.
But mostly,
Hope coats my taste buds,
Because I’m starving for a future built on its existence.
And in the stillness imposed by the concern for our survival,
I practice devouring it whole.