There have been other years
when the gross ache of being apart
was caused by the spiral growth of life,
but it was ours,
easily fixed by a Boxing Day trip
or a warm January shindig.
This year’s exponential spiral
stifles all but the cold binary of a zoom call
and fans smouldered ire at the avoidable

Sally Looks To Someday Push Buttons

Sally walked the floors of life this year
Each climb up she cautiously lived in fear
She lived on, brink to brink
Week to week, flight or sink
She hopes that her elevator is near

Logan Robertson

12/20/20

I close my eyes because
I want to sleep through the darkest nights
Of December,
Sink into the depths of my consciousness
Who doesn’t remember
The events of earlier today.

They’re trying to **** me.

Polluted my mind,
Body
And soul.
Left me to rot, freezing
In the bitter cold.

Poisoned me with pure
Lies and deception.
Almost made me believe there is
No solution.
Almost made me believe I
Have no power in this situation.
So yes,
I should cancel my endeavours?
And wait until the damages are reversed?
So yes,
I should stay inside and
Keep my head down
Staring into the
Darkest glowing light
And get ****** into an abyss and miss
On what it truly means to be free?

You almost made me believe it.

I close my eyes in hope of a reset.
I worry if my future will be plagued
By regret.

The soul of my civilisation is infested
With worms and centipedes from the root.
My generation have been bent, burned
And broken into submission.
My elderly in ambivalence die neglected
In isolation,
My needy bite their lip in frustration
Because yet again they have to get
Used to a new brand of corruption.

And we stay silent and lower our heads
And keep our tails between our legs
And say “yes do whatever you please”
And hope that finally they have
Our best interest?

Is this madness?

This is a form of sick, twisted art,
But when did this level of manipulation
Even start?

And there comes a point where
I have to ask myself:
In all this mess,
What is my part?

At the beginning of 2020, Australia was on fire.
The threat of WWIII was all too real.
Baby dictators playing with "disposable" human lives.

Disposable lives
Disposable masks
Disposable gloves
Disposable plastic bags
. . . and here were are again with disposable lives.

My family and I survived the Oregon trail and not one of us died from dysentery. A small victory!

George Floyd, "I can't breath."
Black Lives Matter.  
LGBTQ+ Lives Matter.

Marching in the streets and shouting until I can't speak. Organizing and criticizing institutions that WE built. People WE put into office. And my more political topics that WE are responsible for.

Black Lives Still Matter.
LQBTQ+ Lives Still Matter.
Anti-maskers, "I can't breath."

A shame and a reflection in the United States education system.

Me walking my dogs, "I can't breath. . . without a mask"
Ashes falling from our apocalypses skys.
My skin burns from the air.
I my dog sneezing because they don't have masks.
My mask discolored from this short walk.

Exposed
Double Down
Tested
Isolate
Negative
Relief
Virtual Life

A light at the end of this long tunnel?
Good-bye Oregon!
2021, let's try Utah?

Hello, hi! I'm Spike C. Ovid and
I was born in Somewhere in 2019.
Yes, I'm the one you would have never wanted to hear from.

Don't panic!

I'm not the evil one; I'm here because I only want to live;
just like you.

Let me tell you straightaway: this is a knock out match.
I'm invisible to the naked eye but you're not so gullible:
you have science and technology and sometimes common sense and, on special occasions, even a spirit of brotherhood.
  
I want to be really outspoken: my best weapons in this battle are:
your fears, your selfishness, your clinging to private wealth, your individualism and narcissism, as  well as, your conflicting political, religious, and ethnic identifications.

Please don't play the indignant card;

just remember that you are here, by chance, because a meteorite hit this planet and wiped out dinosaurs; but, soon after that, you wiped out the Neanderthals and so many other species, later on, including your own kind.

I’ve already told you, I won't be a hypocrite!
I want you to work for me, free.
I'm copying this from you.
However the final price for this tug of war will only be
something you don't care that much for:

EARTH!

Why did I write you this letter?
Let’s make a deal to end this clash!
Hand all the old and very ill ones over to me - They’re only a burden for you - and then I’ll leave.
A fair agreement: no more fear, no more casualties, on both sides.

Please make up your mind quickly.
I Look forward to meeting you soon.
Good luck!

P.S.

Remember that I was born to dominate: I was born crowned!

Who takes precious pearls and throws them to the pigs, I wonder?
Who considers gold and silver better off cast asunder?
Or who sees love as a fleeting thing? As if a crack of thunder?
All these questions lie inside as I sit and deeply ponder.

I have no doubt, folks choose these routes. A disfigured, battered blessing. Hate has wrought all love is lost. Our hearts need an assessing.
Humanity, as you can see, has backpeddled. Now regressing.
The world has fought for hatred to be taught. To love I am insisting.


For I remember a time so very long ago
When households stuck together, and in love they did grow.
When families basked in togetherness.
And each other they did know.
Now broken, battered blessings
This world has now bestowed.

Dont hug or touch. We don't get affection much. We all must keep our distance.
To be alone with hearts of stone.
Humanities resistance
A worldwide epidemic - not the flu,
But hatred is the menace.
Do not come near! Your presence is feared! For closeness makes us grimace.

Now here my plea, open up your eyes and see. Who it is, to be our true enemy.
Each and every one must flee - from hatred, lust, fear and greed.
For the devil has done his job. A job well done - a planted seed.
Dont embrace it or defend it! Fight back! Advice all of us should heed!

People act as if they think a vaccine might be the answer.
While hatred effectively grows inside like an insidious, smirking cancer.
People just don't get it because the truth
Has now been blurred.
Now all are fixated on the ruse -
A great deception has occurred.

This world has become manic and were caught up in the panic, but its our hearts that are diseased.
All in all hate has to stall. Our pride, our sins, must stop, must freeze.
We have to shed this wickedness -
This spiritually infested sleeze.
Come back to the LORD our God -
Come back to our knees.

Love inevitably is the cure, of this I'm sure.
You all have heard my plea.
Lay your sins down on the floor and sin no more and set your bound souls free.
For we were not made to live in fear -
But to be filled with love and filled with glee.
So let us all begin to love each other once again. I will start. I'll take the lead. Once you have revived your hearts then carry love and follow me.

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
Steve, Yuri, Pablo, Kevin, John, Roy, Bill

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
Mary, Irina, Maria, Karen, Joyce, Tasha, Jill

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
my cousin, my uncle, my grandma, my dad, me, all our dears

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
those we deem immune from our fears

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable to confront others

All customers are required to wear a mask
except
when we're too busy burying our mothers and brothers

Arrested development,
life on hold.
Investment deterioration...
High Street trade goes cold.
Can we have our ball back mister?

Progress halted;
ambitions run dry.
Ineptitude personified
So up goes the cry…
Can we turn the clock back?
Lorry parks overrun,
trucking overspills,
paperwork’s not valid mate,
shortage at the tills.
Unemployment running rife... go on...
Can’t we just have another run at life?

Too many negatives
converging all at once.
Should’ve delayed departure
Covid, Brexit… Extend the talks!
Ineptitude • Handbrake turn before the exit?
No! This is like a yellow box so no!
Do not enter unless your exit’s clear!
Can we have our ball back mister?
Can we turn the clock back?
Can we have another run at life?

Too late goes up the cry… you’re disaffected.
Should’ve been better informed
by the people at the sharp end;
the people at the top…
Ever felt dejected... 1- 2 - 3 - 4...
take it from the top! No!
Can we have our ball back mister?
Can we turn the clock back?
Can we have another run at life?

Sorry say the throng…
we didn’t really mean them
to get it THIS bleeding wrong!

Lawrence Hall
Mhall46184@aol.com
https://hellopoetry.com/lawrence-hall/
poeticdrivel.blogspot.com

                Contagious Disease Unit – Ward 20 Deck 2

Maybe my aptitude for throwing up
My ENT infections, fevers and chills
Hopeless motion sickness and fainting fits
Were the reasons why NavPers posted me there

All the diseases in the Fleet called it home:
Infections, syphilis, leprosy, the clap
(Let’s give him a hand), and for reasons not clear
A couple of crewmen from the Pueblo

Before I was sent to be sick in Indo-China -
And now they say there’s a virus going around