The dank and sticky days of summer came
The virus stayed, but we pretended it was gone
The people in charge lied
And plastered fake smiles across their maskless faces

A month felt like a year
We forgot about Carole Baskin
We forgot about the Australian wildfires
Our bread pictures were replaced by angry memes

We banged against the walls in our minds, looking for a hole, a way out
Our bloodied fingers scrabbling desperately
But the walls were black oil, smooth and slippery
We found nothing

Rancor and division dominated
Lines were drawn and everyone had to pick a side and stay on it forever
The answers were elusive
And wrong by the next day anyway

We listened to the people who made us feel better
Or just stoked our hate in the way we liked best
The residue of perceived transgressions accumulated
Like rat droppings in a C-rated restaurant

What had been camaraderie in the face of adversity
Began to taste like ash in our mouths