Just. Like. That. – Mike McDermott

 
Look out the window…
spring is here
in all Her glory:
 
flowers, green plants, blue
skies, wispy white clouds
scattered about—almost cliché,
 
almost normal,
except
for the emptiness.
 
Vacant streets, silent playgrounds,
shuttered stores. 
Empty. 
Folks behind doors,
sheltered in place, 
dodging errant droplets
carried a foot further
than expected,
 
landing on a fingertip,
an eye
            absently rubbed,
a cough,
            a fever,
                        hospital,
                                    intubation,
           
sometimes days, weeks sometimes,
            but just like that,
without family or friends, 
maybe  a nurse
            for a moment,
 
                        but then,
 
                                    gone.
 
            Just. Like. That.
 
Copyright 2020 Mike McDermott

Bio:

Mike McDermott has a chapbook Reluctant Care; poems in Quaci Press online magazine, Bourgeon (online),phoebe, Minimus, and others; and a George Mason University MFA.    

Donation Appeal:

Throughout June and July, we will be presenting on this web site work by poets and artists responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you will find these works relevant, comforting and inspiring as we all cope with the economic and health-related fallout.

As you view the work on this site each day, we would like to encourage you to donate to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Their mission “ is to feed our neighbors in need by providing dignified access to supplemental groceries. AFAC is seeing a record number of families due to the COVID-19 pandemic as families who never thought they would ever be in need are now showing up at our doors for much needed food.”  And, in keeping with our hunger-focused efforts, you may also want to visit the Poetry X Hunger website where poems by many poets are posted and are being used by anti-hunger organizations.”

Throughout June and July, we will be presenting on this web site work by poets and artists responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you will find these works relevant, comforting and inspiring as we all cope with the economic and health-related fallout.

Please consider donating to AFAC. If you do, let us know which poet or artist inspired you so we can send you a personal thank you.

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