COVID-19

                            COVID-19

This morning I went to the clinic for the laying-on of hands. 

Snow and brittle ice still rest in shadowed places. Squirrels 

argue or court in the spruce trees. We hold hands, my love 

and I, as we walk the river trail, wind groping our winter jackets. 

 

Another couple passes, faces masked with scarves. Our dog 

is happy, unconcerned, sniffing all the scents and contaminants 

in every bush and stone along our way. The sky stays flat and high, 

where it belongs. There are no humans playing in the park, 

 

no other dogs, this cold afternoon. The news, grim and gray

as the day, follows us outside, dogs our footsteps in an unfriendly

way. We, of the threatened demographic, walk carefully in our aged 

bodies, breathing this vulnerable air. 

sharon brogan

march 02020