where is hope
in this cluster **** world
we are just powerless disciples
of distrust and suspicion
of our systems and overlords
a bunch of anonymous souls
who have learnt
to question everything
emboldened by our
social media alliance
we are a coalition of suspicion

but a cluster **** of suspicion
will be no salvation

hope is
people doing the things that they love
things they believe in
being humble warriors
of self determination
helping each other
in compassion and grace
and in so doing
showing others that
there are good people
in the world
because we are all
just people together

life on our globe has turned
truly ‘complificated’
and many struggle to maintain
a semblance of the ordinary
in our daily goings about town

face masks, regulations and prescriptions
have changed how we can interact
if we may at all
with each other, friends, family, or strangers

physical distancing may rise desire
for at least digital social closeness
yet in its wake
emotional remoteness seems to grow

hanging like a shadow over
occasional live meetings with old friends
children, aunts, uncles, grandparents etc.

we watch them with veiled suspicion
they somehow look a little less familiar
since we met them last time
who knows what they might carry

strangers watching strangers we have become
growing more alienated from each other

Crazy really, to love blindly, when it takes squinted eyes to see