COVID II

When you have it, you feel dirty. Like having an STD except everyone forgot about AIDs by now. There’s a steel block on your chest but you must think of others. Steel blocks on chests are OK.  
Stand six feet apart. Don’t use the bathroom. Don’t come into the kitchen, except with gloves. Cry: crying can be a lovely way to release stress but cry alone.  
“I hope you feel better,” “please don’t come near me,” “sleep in the garage. I made it nice for you.”  
Wear a mask. Eat well. Hydrate. Stop smoking. Order your food and wear a mask when you open the door. Be creative. Meditate. Breathe. I can’t breathe. Breathe. I can’t breathe. I’m lonely. I need someone. That’s selfish. Think of the others.  
Nurses in gas masks, plastic sheet drawn between you and the world. Single you out. It’s for the best. Nurses in gas masks look especially brave. Sometimes gas masks coordinate with scrubs—these are the nurses who have their lives together.  
“May I use the bathroom while I wait for the doctor?” 
“No... I don’t think.... that’s a good idea. We don’t have a separate bathroom”  
Your heart hurts. Not in a heartbreak kind of way. It literally hurts. The pain spreads sharply down your back. You want a hug. Think of the others. Be strong for the others. Whatever you do, don’t PANIC sneeze. 
“Your scans look great! CT, oxygen levels, EKG. Take some Tylenol and go home.” Sleep in a hammock in a park. If someone comes up to you, don’t let them get within six feet. I’m only joking.  
“If you can’t breathe, call 911.” How will I call 911 if I can’t breathe?  
It’s OK to be sad. Wear a mask. Eat well. Hydrate. Stop smoking. Be creative. Meditate. Breathe. I’m lonely. Test says negative. You’re clear!  
False negative, probably. You’re over the hump but think of the others, still. When you shower, spray the bath with bleach. They can wait. Do this for fourteen days. When you pee, shit, or cry, use the other bathroom. We don’t know if it spreads through feces. Better not take the risk. 
We don’t know if it spreads through semen either. Have sex, its boosts the immune system. But don’t have sex, because we don’t know if it spreads through semen. Better to be safe. Wear a mask. Eat well. Hydrate. Stop smoking. Be creative. Meditate. Breathe. I can’t breathe. Will I die? Probably not. We just don’t know I’m afraid, but life goes on.