these are some of my corona virus poems written earlier in the year and revised accordingly. Please see More Corona virus for the latest corona virus collection. And remember to stay safe!!!!!
the Virus from Hell is amused
End of the World
Every Day I Turn on the News *
Irony Meters Blow Gaskets
Chaos *
Corona Virus Fears Tanka
My Phobias Overwhelm Me
Fear Fills the Air
More Trouble Every Day
Trouble Every Day Frank Zappa
The Torture Never Stops – Frank Zappa
by pass the alarms spreading across the land
corona cinqku
Taking a Walk in the Corona Era
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
empty parking lot
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
I feel as if the whole world needs to be cancelled
The Virus King Cried *
Bring out your dead
the Virus Came From Hell
The Delivery System of the Virus is Round
the corona virus is testing us all
The call goes out
the four horse men ready to ride
nature spirits revolt agains humanity
Last Human on Island
corona virus Haiku
hell
Bring Out Your Dead
death comes knocking
be afraid afraid
The Virus Came From Hell
Hope Springs Eternal in our Winter of our Discontent
the Virus King Has Arrived
Kimchi Blues
Humor keeps us sane
Peacock Speaks
Iguana Talks to humanity
To all the friends I am about to loose
corona fears
quarantine blues
I Wish for Peace During this time of crisis
Ten million stories in the Naked City
The Mist from Hell Descends on the land
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
Under the canopy of the pine trees we lay –
corona fears
to those I have lost
We live in an Orwellian world
새영 지마 saeyeong jima plays out in life
corona virus tanka
The best meal of my life
corona virus haiku
White Flower spring Time Haiku
Woman releases balloons of hope
life interrupted by corona
Saudade for friends I have lost
The end of the world news depresses me
the Virus from Hell is amused
corona virus
the Virus from Hell is amused
laughing at the world’s panicked reaction
as it marches through the world unabated
infecting everyone in its wake
as the world awaits its fate
the virus smiles he ain’t no fake
he is the real deal
he is death itself
he is the end of the world
the grim reaper is smiling
god is silent as usual
the world’s leaders
dither and dater
as the economy craters
everyone hoping that God
will save them
the virus does not care
insults and orders do not work
the virus simply does its virus thing
infecting everyone it encounters
and thousands will die
equal opportunity offender
killing the rich and the poor alike
but more poor people
just so many more poor people
than the few billionaires
the virus smile
his work is done
and mankind is doomed
so be it the virus thinks
that is the way of the world
and the virus is the new king
of the world
End of the World
corona virus
end of world
the fears world-wide
soon find us dead
bring out the dead
will the dead die
death lies here there
there goes here
as death here comes
soon here death comes
every day I turn on the news
nothing but news about the virus
the virus from hell
the world is filled with fear
and my anxiety levels rise
every time I turn on the news
oh my god I say
we are all going to die
and I am so afraid
afraid of everyone
afraid of everything
dreading the latest news
and nothing relieves my fear
I watch the world
loosing its collective mind
wondering how much more of this
can we all take
I scream out
Dear God save us all
god is silent as usual
and so I realized
we are doomed
perhaps it is the end times
perhaps not
I turn off the TV
try to stay calm
hoping the madness
will not overwhelm us all
Irony Meters Blow Gaskets
donald trump
the Irony meter gasket
is blown again and again
with every statement
of our chaos president
and his endless surrogates
promoting the latest Presidential
on spot guidance by our great leader
that must be true
because our dear leader
says it is so
The President accuses his democratic rival
of being senile and needs to be in home
and will be run by his radical left allies
and the right wing media
echoes the presidential absurd comments
refusing to acknowledge
that the president himself
is rapidly fading into dementia
and his radical right cronies
are looting the government
driving out expertise
even in the midst of pandemic
Oh yeah the irony meters
are blowing gaskets
every single day
Chaos
trump clown in chief
the world descends into chaos
as our world leaders
led by the chaos president
are overwhelmed
by the smallest
enemy of all
a simple virus
straight out of hell
blows through the crumbling
third world public health infrastructure
living proof of the decline of America
and no one is prepared
and panic ensures
with every Presidential tweet
as people don’t believe
a word he says
conspiracy rumors spread
everyone believes their own reality
as the world spins out of control
the chaos king is in his element
convince that only he knows
the deal
and everyone else
is iust a bit player
in the reality show
that he presides over
and so the rest of us
hunker down
just hoping for the best
as the panic and
chaos spreads faster
than the virus
are we doomed
can we survive
will God save us?
he is silent as always
Corona Virus Fears Tanka
cover 19
Corona virus
lurking fears all around me
we all will die
the TV screaming nonstop
Must be afraid be afraid
My Phobias Overwhelm Me
covid 19 spread
lately I have become scared
of everything
the news scares me, the corona virus scares me, the presidential race scares me, fears of gun men in the street, terrorism, fears of getting sick, fears of dogs, fears of other people, fear of loosing money, fears of becoming demented old man, lost in his nightmares on the street just another invisible homeless bum in the end of his life
all these phobias overwhelm me
time to walk away from my fears
and realize
it will be alright
everything will be alright
As long as I have you
by my side
Well I’m about to get sick
From watchin’ my TV
Been checkin’ out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it’s gonna change, my friends
Is anybody’s guess
So I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
Wednesday I watched the riot…
I seen the cops out on the street
Watched ’em throwin’ rocks and stuff
And chokin’ in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin’ ’round
Seen the smoke & fire
And the market burnin’ down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust…
Flies all green and buzzin’
In this dungeon of despair
Prisoners grumblin
Piss they clothes
Scratch their matted hair
A tiny light from a window-hole
Hundred yards away
That all they ever get to know
‘Bout the regular life in the day
‘Bout the regular life in the day
Slime and rot and rats and snuck
Vomit on the floor
Fifty ugly soldier men
Holdin’ spears by the iron door
Stinks so bad, stones are chokin’
Weepin’ greenish drops
In the den where
The giant fire puffer works
And the torture never stops
The torture never stops, torture
The torture never stops
The torture never stops
Flies all green and buzzin’
In this dungeon of despair
An evil prince eats a steamin’ pig
In a tumbers right near there
In the chambers right near there
He eats de snouts an trotters first!…
by pass the alarms spreading across the land
to bypass the alarms spreading across the land
the circuit breakers are breaking down
as the alarms go on and on
with the end of the world
the end days approaching
spreading the alarm far and wide
corona cinqku
corona virus
corona
it came from hell
we must be all prepared
meet God
Taking a Walk in the Corona Era
peace forest
every day I go for a walk
in the spring time woods
near my house
braving the weather
and the dreaded corona virus
wearing masks and gloves
keeping a distance
from anyone we encounter
that is life it seems
in the era of the corona virus
when will it end
no one knows
until then
I will brave the viral threat
and confront my fears
and walk in the park
with the love of my life
my bride my wife
by my side
in these challenging times
that is all we can do
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
empty parking lot
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
contemplating the new normal
social distancing run amuck
as fears of the corona super plague
plague the land
driving everyone inside
sheltering in place
afraid to go out
afraid of the deadly c virus
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
two friends on a bench
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
said the old man to me
sitting on a bench
in the park in the woods
as we both sought shelter
from the spreading chaos
the pandemic swirling around us
Yes I said
standing up
to enforce the proper distance
between us
don’t want to give the virus a chance
to spread between us
he smiled and said
relax I already went through it
I am fine and you will too
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
All around us fears and chaos
Unlike the end of the world approaching us
Sadness overcomes us dooming us to our fate
Every we go nothing but death awaits
I feel as if the whole world needs to be cancelled
I feel as if the whole world
needs to be canceled
due to rough times ahead
due to the corona madness
and the thread of pure craziness
that it inspires in us all
The Virus King Cried
virus king cried
the virus king smiled
as the politicians lied
saying that the end was near
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king sneered
as people panicked
and partied on the beach
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king laughed
as the markets crashed
millions became unemployed
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king roared
as the world slid into chaos
people turning on one another
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king smirked
knowing that there was nothing
that they could do to stop
his army from infecting millions
and killing thousands
the virus King begin to realize
that soon there would be no one left
no one for his army to infect
as everyone was dying
the virus King yelled
remaining defiant
as civilization collapsed
billions were infected
millions died
the Virus King at last cried
when he saw that he was defeated
as one by one
people began to recover
and his reign of terror came to an end
Bring out your dead
grimm reaper
the call bring out your dead
spreads around the world
as millions die
all over the world
the virus has spread
mutated and killed
all over the world
bring out your dead
the mournful cries
echoing in the wind
of the dying cities
mass starvation
as no is working
in the fields
as more people die
and the world spins
around the sun
with the politicians lying
and the dead still dying
as civilization dies
and humanity flee
into the wilderness
chased by the killer virus
straight down to hell
the Virus Came From Hell
coronavirus
the virus came from hell
straight out of a mad lab
born and raised in China
the virus spread from Dinah
all over to carolina
it spread from the lab
the mad virus of Hell
was mad as hell at humans
who it blamed for everything
seeing itself as cleansing everything
killing the world and everything
revenge against humans
perhaps virus came from God
more likely came from Satan
part of natures’ revenge
all designed to avenge
the damage to Stonehenge
virus came from Satan
The Delivery System of the Virus is Round
cover 19 spread
the delivery system of the virus is round
very simple system
the virus spreads around
and all must pay the price
death and destruction
the corona virus is testing us all
the corona virus is testing us all
is it a plague
sent by God
if we have faith
will we recover
or it is beyond our control
the end of the world
does god hear our prayers
does god even exist
the virus from hell
spreads around the world
and test our faith
will god save us all
I have no answer
but perhaps if god exists
we will recover
from this plague
from hell
The call goes out
the call goes out
stay at home
to beat the dreaded c virus
will we live
or all die?
the four horse men ready to ride
four horsemen
the end of the world is upon us
as god unleashes the corona virus
which is spreading across the land
the four horse men are ready
to begin their grim journey
announcing the end of the world
the white horse comes first
offering peace and hope
in the midst of death
and despair
the red horse rides second
ushering in war
throughout the world
as nations turn on each other
and civil war looms
the Black Horse is ready
unleashing famine
on a starving world
as people stay at home
and food rots in the field
no one is able
to work any more
as the virus kills more
and more
the pale horse rides last
bringing death
in his wake
death all around us
as the virus kills us all
and civilization ends
the four horse men
have done their job
the virus finishes its reign of terror
and the few survivors
beging to recover
end of the world
came and went
and they are still alive
thanks to God
who remains silent
as always
nature spirits revolt agains humanity
all around the world
nature’s spirits
are on the move
the world is changing
as the nature’s spirits
rise up
in revolt against humanity
is this the end time
is nature on revolt
against humanity
is this the end for us all
will the virus kill us all
will nature rise up
and kill us all?
Last Human on Island
in the deep blue sea
nothing there
but death and destruction
virus all around
pandemic plague
Apocalyptic views
end of times
death of civilization
corona virus Haiku
corona virus
corona virus
staying home
waiting for death
Afraid everything
the virus came from hell
the virus came from hell
staying home waiting for death
Afraid everything
Bring Out Your Dead
bring out your dead cries
break out all over the world
we are waiting death
death comes knocking
death comes knocking
on our doorsteps tonight
will God hear prayers
be afraid afraid
be afraid afraid
Must be afraid every one
Death is at our door
The Virus Came From Hell
the virus came from Hell
ravaging the entire world
all waiting for death
Wednesday April 1 Hope Springs Eternal in our Winter of our Discontent writer’s digest prompt Posted
corona virus
Hope springs eternal in the winter of our discontent
On the daily news that fills us with dread
Perfect storm of hatred, fear and despair
Everywhere we go nonstop fear broadcasted
Despair fills my heart as I turn on the news
Everywhere we are in the midst of the pandemic
Simply put death is at hand
Planning for the future yet waiting for death
At worst we will all die not today but soon
In the long term we are all dead
Remembering the dead all around us
yet I end this poem with a word of hope
hoping for the best
while preparing for the worst
all I can do to stay sane
as I await my fate
on this dismal date
April 1 is indeed
April Fool’s date
is that our fate
this endless dance with death?
and to end with a sign of hope
I know that if I have you by my side
I will survive I will survive
until the end of time itself
takes us to the other side
based on writer’s digest daily April poetry month challenge to write a poem about hope
the Virus King Has Arrived
poetry soup version is the Virus King has arrived = as poetry soup did not like the word “Hell”
corona
the virus from hell has arrived
catching the world unprepared
it erupted out of China
then began its terrifying reign
wiping out thousands of people
destroying jobs and economies
killing people left and right
it seemed like something
out of our worst nightmares
but at least it was not
the dreaded zombie flu
perhaps that is next’s fall’s nightmare
as the virus from hell
prepares for a fresh assault
to finish us all off
I got the kimchi blues
every day since I first ate it
back in the day
long before i went to Korea
ended up staying on in Korea
after i retired from decade
in the Foreign Service
and ten years studying
and living in Korea
before I joined
the Foreign Service
When I first ate kimchi
I was hooked
sort of a spicier version
of German sauerkraut
which i loved on my top dog
from Berkeley high school days
then off to korea
in the peace corps
where I ate kimchi
every day for every meal
and eventually I woke up
dreaming of kimchi and rice
instead of pancakes and eggs
then I knew
that I had finally adjusted
and was becoming half Korean
and now I am a hopeless kimchi addict
need to have my spicy kimchi
which is so good for you
perhaps even defeating the dreaded corona virus?
who knows but I will be eating Kimchi
until my day is done
Friday April 3
Humor keeps us sane
Pensively prompt – unpublished
corona virus
it is a piece of what we need to do
to prevent us from getting
the dreaded corona virus
coming up your nose
Peacock Speaks
peakcock speaks
as the virus spreads
around the world
the peacock in the zoo
speaks up
talking on behalf
of their fellow species
he called upon humans
to free them from their zoo prisons
and let them be free
before it was too late
and humanity met their fate
becoming a ghost in the wind
creative talents unleashed prompt
Iguana Talks to humanity
iguana will miss human friends
the wise old Iguana
woke from its nightmares
of the end of the world
as humanity faded away
the iguana was scared
but afraid of the future
and he would miss
his human friends
creative talents unleashed prompt
writing.com prompt daily dew april poems
To all the friends I am about to loose
over the years
I have known so many people
and now when the virus
is spreading out around the world
I will soon be hearing
that this person has died
and that person has died
I will outlive many of my friends
from around the world
part of getting old
something that I fear
one day perhaps
people will hear
that jake has died
and they will say
that they barely knew me
and wished that they had
taken the time
to become my friend
Just as I think
about all the friends
i am about to loose
to this killer virus
running amuck
writing.com prompt daily dew April poems
corona fears
covid 19 virus
corona
the word fills us with dread
spreading around the world today
will we all survive this
corona
Saturday April 4
quarantine blues
quarantine
Quarantine such an ugly word
Unlike any other
All at home
Regardless of desires
No where to go
That is the worst part of it
In fact enforced staying at home
Not too bad
Especially if I have you by my side
Blues come over me
Looking out the window
Unable to go out
Everyone everybody afraid
Sums up my fearful fears
poetry soup contest
I Wish for Peace During this time of crisis
I wish for peace and happiness
during this time of despair
pandemic fears all around us
death stalking us daily
I wish for health
amid the carnage
all around me
I wish for leadership
from our President
from our governors
and our congress
and most importantly
I wish that I will survive
with my love at my side
experiencing love
in the time of corona
Ten million stories in the Naked City
there are a million stories
every day in the naked city
millions of people
stripped naked
to the bone
staring down the dead
the dead staring back
in this time
of pandemic
the dead stare out at us
mocking us
as they leave the earth
naked as when they arrived
All poetry contest – write a naked poem
The Mist from Hell Descends on the land
the mist settles down on the land
the mist covers us all
the scent of death
the grim reaper
rides behind the miss
infecting those around him
the mark of death
as the mist covers the land
the end of the world
comes with the mist from hell
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
jehova
Rev. Jake ’s on-line sermon on the Corona Virus
I am reverend Jake and I have a message from God
Last night I had a vision from God
it was his message to the world
about this pandemic we are facing
I found myself in a large room
Jehovah, God, was sitting in the middle
surrounded by the other Gods
they were all there
Jesus on his right
Allah on his left
Buddha behind him
Ganesh, Shiva, Kali
Mohammed, Joseph Smith and other prophets
Gabriel and other angels abound
St Peter in front of his as his Chief of Staff
Zeus, Jupiter, Minerva and ancient
other gods all around him
God spoke up
He said
I have a message for you
to give to your people
all of your people
no matter what religion
or no religion at all
it is all one after all
first the corona virus
is a natural phenomenon
we have no control
over forces of nature
and we did not send
it to you
to punish you
for homosexuality
or anything else at all
Second obey the health directives
stay at home
do your services on line
it is okay with us
we are fine with that
the blood of Jesus
will not save you
If you are in a crowded place
like church or a mosque service
the virus will spread
and catch you in the end
Prayers alone will not save you
but please keep praying
we do listen to your prayers
but we can only do so much
So please don’t allow the virus
to spread
because of your ignorance
and fear
realize that in the end
the virus will do its thing
and you will survive
and we
all the gods here
love you humans
and wish you well
so stay at home
practice self-distancing
It is God’s will
all will survive
Under the canopy of the pine trees we lay –
pine trees jpeg
under the canopy of the pine trees we lay
along the world peace forest
in Korea
walking the forest
in the spring time
fearing the corona virus
and everyone around us
watch the snowing cherry trees
and the wind whispering
the voices of ghosts
those newly dead
and we lay down
under the canopy of the pine trees
waiting for our turn
to face the grim reaper
in this dismal day
in April
truly the cruelest month
of them all
from the poem ‘Under the canopy of pine trees
poetry soup contest
corona fears
corona
corona
the word fills us with dread
spreading around the world today
will we all survive this
corona
to those I have lost
with the corona virus upon us
I am bracing to hear the news
that so and so has died
I reflect back
on all the people in my life
that I have already lost
part of being older
is that you lose people
close to you along the way
I lost my father due to cancer in 1985
and my sister due to a freak illness in 2007
and my mother due to Alzheimer’s in 2005
and my father-in-law as well in 2007
Demel Tucker
high school debate teammate
dead of HIV in 1995
Julian Bartley and his son
one of my favorite bosses
died in a terrorist bombing
in Nairobi in 1998
Jon Weber college roommate
dead due to prostate cancer
in 2000
Paul Simon friend from the visa line
dropped dead of a heart attack
in 2004
Ted Halstead
one of my best bosses
died of heart attack
in 2007
Chris Richard one of my former bosses
dropped dead of a heart attack
shortly before we were due
to have lunch in 2014
and so many others
I have lost
along the way
and soon there will be
so many more
as I get old
in the corona era
writing.com daily dew drop prompt to write an elegy poem
We live in an Orwellian world
1984 images
we are living
in an Orwellian 1984 world
and have been for decades
we are assaulted daily
by alternative realties
promoted by various politicians
designed to shut down
all rational thought
true Orwellian thought control
and now with the corona virus
massive surveillance
has become the norm
and when the crisis is over
the surveillance will continue
on one excuse after another
forever as Orwell’s nightmare
big brother ruling us all
comes true
based on the fear that the massive increase in social surveillance being deployed against the Corona virus will after the crisis is over continue forever under one excuse or another as the Orwellian big brother dictatorships around the world become permanent
saeyeong jima plays out in life
The Korean Proverb
saeyeong jima
recently came to life in my life
The meaning of the proverb
Is that you can never know whether something
will be good or bad
and that unexpectedly
what appears to be bad fortune
turns out to be a good fortune
The proverb played
out recently in my life
about lunar New Year’s Day
we were preparing to go to Thailand
from two weeks from our home
in South Korea
and then at the end of February
we would go to DC
My wife blew out her lumber desk
and we were forced to cancel our trips
This occurred
just as the coronavirus
was taking off around the world
and if we had gone
we may have been stuck either in Thailand
or we may have been stuck in the United States
and traveling
in the mist of a corona outbreak
would probably mean
that we would have been exposed
to the virus
instead we were forced to stay home
and self quarantine ourselves
and therefore
we escaped being exposed to the coronavirus
and we feel much safer
here in Korea where the outbreak is contained
rather than in DC
where it is still spreading everywhere
so in a sense her misfortune
throwing out her disk
which resulted in us staying at home
and avoiding the coronavirus
is the true meaning
of the Korean Chinese expression
saeyeong jima
writers digest prompt write a lucky/unlucky poem
corona virus tanka
corona virus
it is spreading all over
the world dying
I walk down the path of life
Along with love of my wife
The best meal of my life
korean feast jpg
the best meals of my life
has always been what my wife
cooks up for me every night
she is a genius in the kitchen
always making something great
from the simplest ingredients
Because she came down with celiac disease
she could only eat
what she prepared from scratch
and so she was forced
to give up all processed foods
and in the process she became
the greatest cook
in the universe
I wait with baited breath
to taste the great food
that she creates for me
on lunar new years
she threw out her lumbar disk
and we were forced to stay home
just as the corona pandemic
swept across the world
if we had traveled
we would have contracted
the dreaded corona virus
and we were forced
to stay at home
and she took advantage
of staying at home
to try new dishes
every single day
I recall the Korean proverb
saeyeong jima
as her misfortune
turned into fortune
and once again
she saved me life
I am the luckiest man in life
the best fed man of all I know
due to the cooking skills of my wife
Writing.com daily dew drop prompt write a food poem
corona virus haiku
corona virus
brings death and our destruction
destroying our life
White Flower spring Time Haiku
white flowers in spring haiku
now in the springtime
white flowers blooming in the park
corona death waits
Woman releases balloons of hope
ballons for peace
A young woman
walks in a park
on a sunny spring day
carrying 25 red balloons
each red balloon
contains the name of those
that recently died
in the corona virus pandemic
she is releasing the balloons
hoping they would
rise to heaven
with a request for God
to hear her prayers
End this pandemic
End the death and destruction
release us from the corona pandemic
the woman releases the balloons
and slowly walks back to her house
to prepare to attend yet another funeral
as the pandemic swirls all around her
creative talents unleashed prompt
life interrupted by corona
covid19
we live in a strange world
life interrupted by corona
the virus spread throughout the world
disrupting everything
putting life on hold
as more people
hunkered down
waiting for the virus
to pass over us
like in biblical times
the virus
will test us all
and then
we will all
go back
to life interrupted
writing.com Daily Dew Drop interruption
Saudade for friends I have lost
as I get older
I lose more people
every year
more people I knew
have died moving on
and I mourn their lost friendship
wished I had been
a better friend for them
and knew them better
and with the corona virus
spreading around the world
I will lose so many more
in the coming year
as the virus spreads
its malignancy far and wide
I lost my father due to cancer in 1985
and my sister
due to a freak illness in 2007
and my mother
due to Alzheimer’s in 2005
and my father-in-law as well in 2007
Demel Tucker
high school debate teammate
dead of HIV in 1995
Julian Bartley and his son
died in a terrorist bombing
in Nairobi in 1998
Jon Weber college roommate
dead due to prostate cancer
in 2000
Paul Simon friend from the visa line
dropped dead of a heart attack
in 2004
Ted Halstead
one of my best bosses
died of heart attack in 2007
Judy Fine
My Co-Ho partner in crime
died in 2006
Chris Richard
one of my former bosses
from my days in Bangkok
dropped dead of a heart attack
shortly before we were due
to have lunch in 2014
and so many others
I have lost
along the way
and soon there will be
so many more
as I get old in the corona era
writing.com saudade poem
The end of the world news depresses me
trump jpg
the end of the world news
depresses me
makes me want to shout and scream
STFU leave me alone
to deal with my grief
amid the death and destruction
watching CNNMSNBCFOXBBC media nonstop
filled with essential dread
the end of the world is upon us
from the screaming news media
spreading forth across the land
fake news screams the president
all is alright he proclaims
no one believes his 16,000 lies
and so it goes
we are drowning with information
coming at us so fast and furious
When will it end my friend
is anyone’s guess
in the long run we are dead
National poetry Month Day Seven poem inspired by the news
God Did not Send the Corona Virus as a Punishment Black Out Poem
Robert_Jeffress
original text
During a press briefing today to address the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump was asked about certain Christian pastors who plan to defy state lockdown orders and hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Trump then referred to a notorious pastor who sits on his religious advisory council.
“I’m going to be watching Pastor Robert Jeffress, who’s been a great guy,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Jeffress is known for his litany of statements demonizing the LGBT community, abortion, and secular people. One of his most reviled comments came in 2015 when he said the 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” Jeffress said during a speech at Liberty University. “‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Black out text
the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump
hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, get back to church so badly.”
“He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
he 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” ‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
Poem
Corona Pandemic is Not’s God’s Punishment
Amid the coronavirus pandemic,
President Trump
Attended virtual Easter church services
I’ve had talks with the pastors,
We need to get back
to church so badly.”
Rev Jeffries is a great guy
I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Rev Jeffries said
The 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment
on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,”
‘Well, I just don’t understand
why God wouldn’t protect our nation
and he would allow these
radical Muslims in 2001
to kill 3,000 of our citizens
and why God doesn’t protect us
Surely, God doesn’t use pagans
to bring judgment
upon his own people,
does he?’”
I am sad to report
Rev Jeffries
I spoke to God
This morning
He confirmed
He did not cause 9-11
To bring judgement
On the US
For abortion
He went on to say
The corona virus
Is beyond his control
And he is not sending it
To punish the US
Or the world
His final words
Please tell Rev Jeffries
To simply STFU
Note: Most of these poems were written in May to July, 2020. I plan on updating this once a month or more often as the muse strikes me. I am hunkering down in South Korea where the virus is slowly spreading but mostly contained. It is a sad community that a country that has 1/6 the population of the US and is very congested should have so few cases -13,000 cases vrs 3 million + in the U.S. as I write this July 15, 2020. Some of these poems are sarcastic, some are magical realism as I imagine General Corona leading his army. See the first one where I introduce the character of General Corona. Even an invisible army needs a general, don’t you think? Enjoy and feel free to send me your poem for a future guest posting. I have updated also my earlier postings – see revised corona poems. There were just too many to include in one posting.
God Fearing Christian Patriots Willing to Die to Breath mask Free – Eight found Poems
1 Devil Love
2. Do You Think You are God?
3 Going Against God’s Breathing System
4 We the People Will Rise Up
5 Are You Insane?
6 What About Bill Gates?
7. Listen to Q and Get Educated
8 Never Again
Conservative Christian Activist Says He would rather be beheaded than wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID 19 Found Poems
Corona pantoum
To wear or not wear a mask that is the question Stop Testing, Found Poem
I am going to mess you up, Dude!
Reality Bites
Corona hits Me Hard
Corona fears haiflu
Corona Hits Me Hard
Corona Virus Paranoia<
watching as the entire world falls apart
The Last Day of America
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
Packages from God
corona-consumes-
ARC Throws Back the Hood
Covid madness sweeps through the world
Wearing a Mask is Not a Political Statement
Surely not kill man
Wear the Damn Mask
My psychoanalyst thinks I’m perfectly right
Mad mask fears
Jesus would have masked up
Total success
Talk is cheap
The corona virus is not dying out Mr. President
General corona is pleased
Wear the damn mask
An Old man refuses to wear the mask of death
Poetic Justice at work Found Poem<
American Independent kwoa poems
Everything is Every Thing
Anytime the Corona Winds Blows
Ain’t Karma a bitch, Mr. President
Governor Covid Victim Poetic Justice
Older Poems see corona virus revised
the Virus from Hell is amused
End of the World
Every Day I Turn on the News *
Irony Meters Blow Gaskets
Chaos *
Corona Virus Fears Tanka
My Phobias Overwhelm Me
Fear Fills the Air
More Trouble Every Day
Trouble Every Day Frank Zappa
The Torture Never Stops – Frank Zappa
by pass the alarms spreading across the land
corona cinqk
Taking a Walk in the Corona Era
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
empty parking lot
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
I feel as if the whole world needs to be cancelled
The Virus King Cried *
Bring out your dead
the Virus Came From Hell
The Delivery System of the Virus is Round
the corona virus is testing us all
The call goes out
the four horse men ready to ride
nature spirits revolt agains humanity
Last Human on Island
corona virus Haiku
hell
Bring Out Your Dead
death comes knocking
be afraid afraid
The Virus Came From Hell
Hope Springs Eternal in our Winter of our Discontent
the Virus King Has Arrived
Kimchi Blues
Humor keeps us sane
Peacock Speaks
Iguana Talks to humanity
To all the friends I am about to loose
corona fears
quarantine blues
I Wish for Peace During this time of crisis
Ten million stories in the Naked City
The Mist from Hell Descends on the land
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
Under the canopy of the pine trees we lay –
corona fears
to those I have lost
We live in an Orwellian world
새영 지마 saeyeong jima plays out in life
corona virus tanka
The best meal of my life
corona virus haiku
White Flower spring Time Haiku
Woman releases balloons of hope
life interrupted by corona
Saudade for friends I have lost
The end of the world news depresses me
God Did not Send the Corona Virus as a Punishment Black Out Poem
New Poems
General Corona Appears in a Vision
One day I was half napping
Watching the President drone on
About him being a war time president
battling an invisible army
I beheld a vision of great terror
I saw a huge black General
General Corona himself
Dressed in star wars imperial
black storm trooper robocop uniform
Riding a black horse
The black horseman
From revelations
Live and in living color
And he took off his helmet
And turned to me
He screamed
Death to all humans
Addressing his invisible army
Newly visible to me
Millions of virus bots
In imperial storm trooper uniforms
Carrying imperial ray gun weapons
The virus bot army
Joined in the battle cry
Death to all humans
Death to all humans
All humans must die
I woke up
And turned off the TV
And went for a walk
To clear my head
Of this vision
Of General Corona
God Fearing Christian Patriots Willing to Die to Breath mask Free – found Poems
comment: found poems based on public testimony before the West Palm Beach county commission’s hearing on imposing a mask requirement. The commissioners voted 7 to 2 to impose the requirement. I mixed in some of my own stanzas here and there for clarification or emphasis.
Devil Love
Devil love is propelling the “deep state
to stomp on the U.S. Constitution
and deprive us of our God-given oxygen
along with our inalienable rights
making us wear face masks
on orders from those
who are poised to
And those officials
who follow the devil’s law
“I can’t understand
why you would all
decide something like this
and want to hurt the people.
You’re going to harm
the health of all of the people
“Every single one of you has a smirk
behind that little mask,
will be subject to citizen’s arrest
by We the People
for crimes against humanity.
“My name is Butch Dias,
and I am an American patriot“
See that flag?
I would die for that flag!
The Constitution
that you are supposed to uphold
I would die for that!”
“You didn’t listen
to We the People!”
“But what’s going to happen when you get the call…
‘Oh, we got to defund the police,
we got to get rid of them.’..
Who’s going to arrest the people
[not] wearing stupid masks?…
What are you going to do?
How are you going to put the people down?”
It breaks my heart,
because I would die for that flag,
I would die for this country,
and I would die for the Constitution.
And you guys are supposed
to uphold the Constitution.
But you know what?
You didn’t.
You let We the People down.”
Do You Think You are God?
Hey,
good morning.
Let me ask you all
Do you believe you’re God?
“Do you believe you can override
God’s divine plan for our lives?
Do you believe God gave us life
and God takes away our life?
Well, if you answer yes
to all these questions,
who gives you
the right to choose
how we live our lives?
I choose faith
over fear every day
You’re not God,
and since masks are harmful
where there is risk
there should be choice.
Turning Your Backs On God’s Breathing System
“I’d like to say, in the beginning God
formed man out of the earth
and breathed his breath in him
and he became a living soul,
“And they want to throw God’s
wonderful breathing system out the door,”
“You’re all turning your backs on it.
Can you prove that it’s good for people
to breathe carbon dioxide over
and over and over again?
God made it so that
we would breathe
in fresh oxygen,
to go to our body
to every cell in the body
It has to have that
to make energy.
When you wear a mask,
the nose is cut off,
the mouth is cut off.”
and you can’t breath
Just like George Floyd
“And you’re breathing carbon dioxide
over and over and over again.
You’re not getting the fresh oxygen
that God intended
.
You’re sending carbon dioxide
to every cell in the body,
polluting it
Especially the brain…”
“I don’t wear a mask
for the same reason
I don’t wear underwear
Things got to breathe.”
The virus is going to keep on going
because people’s bodies are being polluted
and the virus is attracted to polluted bodies
You’re going against God’s
wonderful gift he gave us.”
“And they want to throw God’s
wonderful breathing system out the door,”
“You’re all turning your backs on it.
Can you prove that it’s good for people
to breathe carbon dioxide over
and over and over again?
“I can’t understand
why you would all
decide something like this
and want to hurt the people.
You’re going to harm
the health of all of the people
You’re going against God’s
wonderful gift he gave us.”
Do You Want to Be Known as Communist Dictators?
You’re removing our freedoms
and stomping on
our constitutional rights
by these communist
dictatorship orders…
If you do vote
to mandate masks
in the workplace
and public schools
and stores,
the death of many
will be on your hands.”
“Do you want to be called,
known for communist dictators?
Is this the legacy you want
to be known for?
Do you want to be responsible
for fear mongering misinformation
The problem with humanity
today is ignorance, arrogance,
and apathy.
Keep listening to the TV
brainwashing you
from birth.
Keep listening to conditioning messages
in your local stores
while shopping, just like Fidel Castro
did over loudspeakers in Cuba.
Don’t you see the problem?
The truth is out there…
Remember, God is watching you.”
but every single one of you
are going to get punished by God.”
We the People Will Rise Up
“What I came to say is
We the People
will work day and night
to clean every single seat
if need be,”
“We will get together
and do a citizen’s arrest
on every single human being
that goes against
the freedom of choice, OK?
You cannot mandate
knowing that the mask is killing people..
and every single one of you
that’s obeying the devil’s law
are going to be arrested
And you are going to be arrested
for crimes against humanity.”
but every single one of you
are going to get punished by God.
You cannot escape God.
I’m going to say that again.’
You cannot escape God.”
“Not even with a mask
or 6 feet
OK, 6 feet
is military protocol.
Are you insane?
You’re trying
to get the people
to train them<
so when the cameras,
the 5G come out,
when they’re going to scan everybody.
We got to get scanned
we got to get temperatured,
the kids have to go to school with masks.”
She posited a question
that she might have been asked herself.
“Are you insane?
Are you crazy?
I think all of you should
be in a psych ward right the heck now
Because none of you,
none of you know
what the hell
you are talking about.
This is insane.
And then you want to
open the meeting
with a prayer to God
Are you praying to the devil?
Because God
is not listening to that prayer
wearing a mask
is a sign of disrespect
to the President
trump
and to God
who anointed him
to be our leader
in this dark and dangerous times
What About Bill Gates?
Bill Gates
“There’s not enough [COVID] to make it a pandemic
This is a planned-demic.”
Funded by Bill Gate, George Soros
and Mark Zuckerberg’s Chinese wife
A Chinese bioweapon
Launched to take down our great president
Yet do nothing about it
What about Bill Gates?
Mark Zuckerberg and his Chinese Wife
daughter of a Chinese General
and George Soros
Why are they not in jail?
why is Bill Gates not in Jail?
Why is Mark Zuckerberg ?
and his Chinese wife not in jail?
why is George Soros not in Jail?
Why is Hillary Clinton not in jail?
Why is Obama not in jail?
why is sleepy Joe Biden not in jail?
why is Hunter Biden the evil mastermind
not in jail?
Why are all these pedophiles
not in jail?
that are demanding
you all to listen to their rules,
You must remember Obamagate
And don’t forget Bhenzazi
and Hillary’s emails
Do you take your orders from Jeffry Epstein?
“Oh, is it because you’re part of them?…
Are you reptilian shapeshifters
The deep state is going down
and if any of you are in the deep state,
you’re going down with it.”
Never Again
“Discriminating against certain groups
of people
while exempting others
is a violation of your civil rights,”
Stop mandating masks
the way the Nazis
once mandated
yellow stars for Jews
Following World War II,
we Jews said ‘Never Again.’…
In Germany, Poland,
and across Europe
we were forced
to wear a gold star,
told to get on a box car
to be taken to a safe place.
In reality, what happened?
If we forget history,
we are doomed to repeat it.”
“This is not about health,
this is about submission.”
the mark of the beast is coming
the anti-Christ walks among us
“Well, guess what, the riots are spreading, too!”
And what the hell are we going
to do about that?
We’re going to arrest patriots;
for not wearing a mask?
That’s what you want?”
“And I say Trump 2020!”
Conservative Christian Activist Says He would rather be beheaded than wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID 19
comment : Found Poem – with a few of my own stanzas mixed in
Conservative Christian activist
says he would rather be beheaded
than wear a mask
to prevent
the spread of COVID-19.
a radical anti-LGBT Trump-loving
conservative Christian,
Lively argues that requiring citizens
to wear a mask to fight the coronavirus pandemic
is like the Nazis requiring Jewish individuals
to wear a yellow star on their clothing,
and an unacceptable overreach
of government power.
These things must be balanced
against the disastrous consequences
of surrendering personal liberty
to overreaching government,
especially regarding face masks,
and enforced social distancing
which are in some ways worse
than police-enforced lockdowns
because they represent
a literal in-your-face exercise
of statist power
like Islamist head coverings for women
or the Nazis’ yellow star for Jews.
Unnecessary enforced public mask wearing,
as opposed to voluntary reasonable usage,
is no less a statement
of psychological submission
to higher authority
than a dog collar.
In the greater scheme of things,
I believe liberty is more important
than security if one is forced
to choose between those two.
Those who don’t believe
that are ripe for the Mark of the Beast,
which is what this entire season
of chaos is really about, in my view.
Personally, I would rather die
or be maimed from COVID-19—
or be beheaded by a mob
of anarchists and Islamists—
than become a safe slave
in a global totalitarian government.
Led by Satan’s tool
Joe Biden, the anti-Christ
Corona pantoum
corona virus spreading death
as our politicians continue lying
many people refuse to wear masks
so many people lie dying
as our politicians continue lying
Spreading lies and misinformation
so many people lie dying
With hatred spreading across the nation
If only people did what they should
Corona Virus Spreading Death
corona virus spreading death
Our leaders say everything is good
many people refuse to wear masks
To wear or not wear a mask that is the question
found poems
Real Patriots Don’t wear Masks
no masks
To wear or not wear a mask
Is the question
That bedevils the world
From Brazil to the White House
Ohio and Texas
The call has gone out
Wearing a mask
Means you are a liberal weak sissy man
Or woman Listening to
the government’s propaganda
or the evil fake news
enemies of the people
or are a libtard democrat
anti-Trump anti-American terrorist
and disrespect the President
and God
who anointed him to be President
in these dark and dangerous times
No Masks Needed in Ft. Bend God’s Texas Home
Fort_bend_courthouse
Well, not in Ft. Bend County
We will not trample
on the individual rights of Texans
to provide a false sense of security
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
It is nothing serious at all
I have 826 staff
at the Ft. Bend Sheriff’s Office.
We interact with the public daily.
3 months,
I’ve had just 2 officers
test positive
I have over 800 inmates
and staff in the jail
and not a single positive test
NOT ONE.
Fort Bend County Confirmed 5,015 Deaths 63 Texas Confirmed 274K Deaths 313<
as of 7/15/2020
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
nothing serious at all
No one’s been hospitalized
Except in Houston
and other Godless cities
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
It is nothing serious at all
Here in FT Bend
The blood of Jesus
Will protect The good christians
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
It is nothing serious at all
Only non-Christian heathens
are catching the china virus
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
It is nothing serious at all
“I encourage people to wear a mask
if they have one
I encourage people
to wash their hands frequently,”
Cough cough cough
Nothing but a cold
It is nothing serious at all
“I encourage people to do
the right thing to help
protect our most vulnerable,
Houston Imposing a Mask Mandate Represents Government Tyranny
But government mandated
That is a step too far
this government MANDATE
from Harris County
is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and unAmerican”
“It’s an unprecedented overreach
which looks more
like a communist dictatorship
than a free Republic”.
”
And here in Texas
We believe
That people have to make
Their own decisions”
What About Seat Belts and Drunk Driving?
What’s that?
Drunk driving should be okay?
Driving without seat belts<
Or insurance should be okay?
What is wrong with you people
Requiring people to wear a mask
Is not the same thing at all
It is communism socialism fascism
Liberalism nanny state run amok
And we will not stand by it
“At this point,
I see it as nothing
more than politics
Governor Abbott announces a trajectory
to start reopening Texas
and Harris County,
which never even utilized
its $60 MILLION
pop up hospital at NRG,
implements a mandate
for face masks on 4 million people”
The other counties to do it are Dallas,
Bexar, and Travis.
These are the 3 most liberal counties
in the state of Texas.
Coincidence?
I
DON’T
THINK
SO.”
They are all filled
with godless libtards,
GovBots, Gays and anti-Christians
Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Atheists
minorities, illegal aliens
black people, brown people
yellow and red people
DEMOCRATS, socialists
anti-fa protestors
anarchists
Who hate America
Hate our beloved President
hate our Governor
Hate our Senators
Hate god
our freedom
and our Christian family values
in TEAXAS
“I believe we’ve seen
the worst of this war.”
What?
There has been a record breaking
Increase in covid cases
Just more fake news
Everything is fine
Note: the good sheriff was talking
in late June
before everything went to hell
so perhaps he can be forgiven
a bit for being behind
the power curve
so to speak End Note
“Here ins Texas
Cough cough cough
And we’re closer to victory
than we’ve ever been.”
Note: every word in that sentence
has been proven to be completely wrong
End Note
“Let’s keep doing our part
to be conscious of others
when we’re out
and make sure to hold
government accountable, always”
How is this not an endorsement
mandated mask wearing?
I just don’t understand
Sheriff, please explain it again?
Ah I get it now
Voluntary mask wearing
encouraged by government officials
in Republican cities Good
mandated mask wearing
by government officials
in democratic cities
evil totalitarian overreach
If You are Black and Wear a Mask We will Pull You Over
But don’t wear a mask
If you do
We will pull you over
Because you are probably
A criminal type
particularly if you are black,
brown, yellow or red
and you will be charged
with something
because you must be guilty
of something
if you are white
you will be given a mask
and told to have a nice day
And we don’t want your kind
Living and polluting
Our great Texas state
Cough cough cough
You have to ask your self
Are you tired of living
in a dictatorship yet?
STOP GETTING TESTED!
corona testing
This is what happens
when people go crazy
and get tested.
you test people
and you find cases
if you don’t test people
then there will be no cases
and like magic
the problem disappears
so I say to you
“STOP GETTING TESTED
It only encourages them
to require more testing
When will this government madness end”
Cough cough cough
“It is giving the government
an excuse to claim something
is happening that is not happening
at the magnitude they say it is happening.”
It is all fake news
I mean how many people
Do you know
Who have died
From the china flu?
Cough cough cough
I don’t know anyone personally
That has died
It is all a hoax
By the fake news media
“Have you noticed they never
talk about death anymore,
just cases?
And they never
talk about recoveries.
They just keep adding
to numbers they
have been feeding us
from over 3 months ago!”
Cough cough cough
Don’t Believe the Lies There is No COVID
“It is all lies”
“Wake up America”
“Don’t believe the lies”
“There is no covid 19
It is just a bad china flu
That the Chinese unleashed”
To take down our President
Because he dared to stand up
To the bullies in China
Make America great again
Don’t get tested
And don’t wear a mask
The blood of Jesus
Will protect you always
Corona fever – I am going to mess you up, Dude!
temperatured jpeg
In this day and age of temperature testing
Everywhere one goes
It is important to remember what the tests mean
And what they don’t mean
First temperature tests are a crude instrument
All it is says is that you are sick
Dude with something bad
Could be the flu
Could be the dreaded corona
Could be malaria, yellow fever
Zika or any number of very bad things
But what ever dude,
you got temperatured
And is is high
so dude just deal with it
So stay from here
Until you are either better
Test negative for the dreaded Corona
Or die of it
That is all it means
many people will
not know they have it
And many have it
And many people will spread it
Even though they are temperatured
Clear negative
good to go
And free of the fever
For the sad reality
Is that the fever comes
Near the end
And what is means
Is that the mean old general corona
Has a message for yah
It goes like this
Dude you got a fever
And you know it ain’t the flu
Ain’t dengue, malaria or yellow fever
Or Zika or any other damn thing
It is the dreaded Corona
It means that I your beloved general
Has grabbed you
And I am going to mess you up
So when you get corona virus dude
You will wish you were dead
You will ache all over
Have pain from hell
And you will cough
Up a storm
Maybe even rush to the ER
Be told
Ain’t no room for ya
You damn fool
Go home to die
Or wait outside
Until we can see yah
We don’t care any more
Dude!
You are now just a damn
Statistical number
Potential death number 51000 today
And you will beg me
To release you
To send you to your maker
God or the devil is waiting
Grim reaper has your number
And you know what
I might do that
Or I might just say
You will live
And walk away
And my minions will infect
Yet another foolish dude
Not wearing a mask
And so it goes
Nothing political
I don’t care who you are
Who you voted for
And the blood of Jesus
buddha or any other god
Won’t save your sorry ass
As they say
Dude your ass is grass
And I am the lawn mower
Yeah dude
When I get my hands on yah
It means I am going to have my fun
Dude it means I am going
to mess you up
And your loved ones
And your cute cousin
And that girl you’ve been crushing on
Particularly if you know kissed her
Yeah way to go dude
Spread me around
I love it dude !
But don’t fret
Dude it ain’t personal
Hell not, is just ya know
its a virus thing
You would not understand
Just the sort of thing
I do ya know
Reality Bites
To those who deny reality
To those who refuse to see
And refuse to understand
To those who think
That you can deny the truth
Remember this my friends
Reality is not your friend
Reality does not have a conservative bias
It does not have a liberal bias
It just is
That is what reality is
And reality
Does not like to be mocked
Does not like to be ignored
If you deny reality its due
It will rise up
Like an avenging angel
And bite you in the ass
Teaching you that on the date
That you ignore reality
You met your fate
That is the will of reality
Corona hits Me Hard
One day I wake up
And see an old black man
dressed in a general’s uniform
Sitting at my computer
I ask him
Who the hell are you?
He says
Allow me to introduce myself
I am general corona
And you belong to me now
If you are nice to me
I might let you live
But in the meantime
I am going to mess you up
You will get ill
You will feel a lot of pain
Coughing up a strom
Won’t be able to breath
And wish you were dead
It ain’t personal dude
It is just a virus thing
You would not understand
And he presses a button
And the fun and games begin
Corona fears haiflu
Corona virus
Fear of death everywhere
End of our world
Corona Virus Paranoia
fears of the corona virus
fear of the coming pandemic
paranoia in the air
fear of the other
fear of the coming super bug
the end of the world
all wrapped up
in a simple weaponized virus
watching as the entire world falls apart
watching as the entire world falls apart
consumed by fears of the end of the world
things continue to fall apart around us
humanity turns to silent gods
who turn a deaf ear to our suffering madness
as the virus from hell spreads out all around
fearful people desperately running here
fearful people desperately running there
praying to the silent gods above us all
to rescue them from this hellish nightmare fate
that seems to becoming our fate this late date
and as we all die a million deaths
just our fate
The Last Day of America
trump 4
the last day of America
was the day we last voted
the last election we ever had
For on that day
a month before
the corona virus re-emerged
as the great re-opening
of the US economy
failed to stop the relentless spread
of the virus from hell
led by General Corona
causing panic and mass confusion
fear kept Americans home
and Donald Trump
was re-elected
because his voters
believed that God
had told them to vote
for their new found king
the newly energized President Trump
declared a national emergency
martial law
and suspension of the constitution
Promising to restore democracy
when the time was right
he promised his followers
that he would restore Christian values
renaming the United States
the Christian States of America
on that date
we met our fate
Christian fascism
was here to stay
as the time was never right
to restore the old Republic
that was the last day
of American
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
airplanes
in these dark and dire times
we find ourselves living
we often fear that the times
are infected with death
and so we are afraid
deathly afraid
that if we take a plane
we will find General Corona
among the passengers
and we be afraid
deadly afraid
that the subways
are incubators
of death and destruction
the virus spreads
fear and death
in its wake
many of us
retreating to our homes
and venturing out
in our cars
only to find
death is stalking us
as traffic piles up
traffic accidents
still killing more people
that the dreaded General Corona
the grim reaper smiles
his work is done
Satan thanks General Corona
for a job well done
awarding him a Satanic
medal of freedom
Hell’s highest honor
Packages from God
they say that God
works in mysterious ways
his wonders to perform
every day it seems
that more and more
of what we buy
and consume
comes in packages
sent from here and there
as people
continue to practice
social distancing
and going to the store
becomes an exercise
fraught with peril
and danger
so we order
on-line
and we get our packages
sent from here and there
one day we received
a gift package
of clams
delicious fresh clams
as I ate them
I thought of the workers
who had labored unseen
for me to enjoy
this bounty from the sea
and I gave thanks
to the gods
for making it happen
in this day and age
we should thank
those who are still
laboring to feed the world
they are the unsung heroes
of this war fought by nature
under the direction
of General Corona
corona-consumes-
I am consumed by the corona virus
and I am slowly being taken over
as the virus infects my mind
taking me over turning me
into a wild raving zombie man
Let there be light
will I become the first
ZOMBIE APOLYCAPASE LOOMS
WILL WE ALL DIE
CORONA
KILLS
ME
content tracing – Let there be light from Bible and the entire Zombie Apocalypse genre where the Zombie flu started usually in China as a flu and then morphs into the zombie disease
ARC Throws Back the Hood
Arthur Robert Copper
aka ARA the notorious international terrorist
threw back his hood
and revealed himself
to be the evil warlord
that had unleashed
General Corona on the world
his goal
nothing less that total domination
taking over the world
amid the total destruction of the world’s economy
as he and his billionaire buddies
reamed the profits
of the total destruction of the world’s economy
Covid madness sweeps through the world
General Corona
unleashes his army
the invisible army
upon the world
killing millions
in its wake
spreading chaos and death
as he rides in
on the black horse of death
harbinger of the end of days
destroyer of worlds
ending of the world
revelations come to life
social distancing walking in the Springtime
peace forest
in this era of corona virus madness
enforced social distancing madness
one has to go out for a walk
social distancing as we walk
as we walk down the path
trying to avoid people
human contact with people
keeping the proper
six feet social distance
and the dreaded corona virus
how much longer
can we all endure this madness
this damn social
distancing dance with death
Wearing a Mask is Not a Political Statement
these days to wear a mask or not
has become a political statement
wearing a mask is a sign of weakness to many
or common sense to protect us all
to those who refuse to wear a mask
I want to say to you what is wrong with you
have you lost your sense of humanity ?
so consumed with desires to get politically even
you would endanger us all?
and yourself
General Corona and his evil invisible army
does not care who you are
wearing a mask might keep the general
from infecting you and us all
so please wear the mask my friends
Surely Not Kills man
in these dark and dangerous times
we find ourselves in
we all rush about trying to avoid
getting sick with the dreaded Corona Virus
but time waits for no one
no one can escape one’s fate
“Surely not” Kills man
AS WE WAIT
FOR OUR FATE
TO MEET US THIS DATE
WE
ALL
WIL
DIE
Content: Korean Proverb Surely Not Kills Man
My psychoanalyst thinks I’m perfectly right
I won’t say the Lord’s prayer
I have mystical vibrations and cosmic vibrations
America in the era of corona virus
is a strange place filled with fear
as the build up inequities
lay bare the country falling apart
nothing seems to work any more
THE LEADERS REFUSE
TO LEAD THE COUNTRY
PREPARING FOR THE END
THE
END
TIMES
COME
Content Tracing: From America Allen Ginsberg
Mad Mask Fears
I don’t understand
this morbid irrational fear of wearing a mask
somehow making you weak
that wearing a maskis a political statement
“Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself with a forest dark
for the straightforward pathway had been lost”
THE THOUGHT COMES TO MIND
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE
LOST
THEIR
MINDS
content tracing Dante Inferno Canto one Line 1 to 3
Jesus would mask up
to my friends in America
and around the world
to those who think
that somehow
the corona virus
only infects other people
that it is all a liberal hoax
overblown
nothing more than a bad flu
and nothing to do with me
demanding that we all go
back to work
what is wrong with you?
have you lost your humanity?
will millions have to die
so you can have a Big Mac?
and a beer in a bar
whenever you damn please
whenever you damn please
and no one can tell you
What to do
to wear a mask
please wear a mask
have you lost all reason
is it all now about owning the dems
and the damn libtards
is there any thing left
in your cold greedy heart?
Other than hate
and you still proclaim
that you are Christian
as you violate all the Christian principles
what would Jesus do
what does the bible say
what does the bible say
what is the Christian thing to do
what is the Christian thing to do
to let millions of people die
did not Christ talk about love
compassion and mercy
would not Jesus
wear a mask
to protect himself and others
from this ravaging disease
that does not care who you are
who you voted for
which church you go to
and Jesus and all the other Gods
are not there watching
Watching all of us
as the virus spreads
it will affect you
it will affect you
sooner or later
perhaps if you had worn a mask
Following Jesus’s example
you might have prevented
The deaths of thousands of people
a few less people
Would have died a few more people
Including your grandparents
Your parents might be alive
if you were not such
a self-centered person
A few more people
Might be alive today
If only you
had worn a mask
and done what Jesus
would have you do
just man up
and mask up
total Success
Jared_Kushner_June_2019
The President’s Son-in-law declares
that the government’s response
to the corona virus
has been a total success
as the government
step up to the plate
to fight the virus from hell
I have to wonder
on what planet
does the words
total failure
becomes total success?
Are we living in a bizarro world
Where every thing
Means the opposite
Do words no longer
Have any connection
To underlying reality
just unsigned mutterings
from the mentally deranged
Can we tell his 18,000 lies
From the truth anymore?
For his statement
Is impossible to be
Anything other than the opposite
His total success is everyone’s total failure
As 135 thousands American ghosts
Will attest
just more verbal diarrhea
from our dear leader
And his cult like followers
And corrupt court jesters
Talk is cheap
Talk is cheap
and BS walks
That is what they say
And as the end times
Close in
With general corona
And his invisible army
Killing us all
Will our endless talk
Have an expiry date
When will God have enough
Of our endless foolish chatter
The President
says with a smarmy smirk
and a straight face
The corona virus is dying out
That the problem has been solved
140,000 Americans lie dead
their ghosts swearing
at the living
The President says
The economy is roaring back
Everyone is ready to go back to work
As unemployment hits depression levels
The president says
Trust him
He will never lie to the public
Is that lie 18,000, 190000?
the fact checkers can’t keep up
Who knows what is the truth anyway
the truth is what the president
says today
The President says
He did more for African Americans
Than any other president
As thousands still demand change
The president says
Re-elect me
What do you have to lose
the 140,000 ghosts cry out
Perhaps our life, our honor
And our country
General Corona is Pleased
General Corona is pleased
At the news he sees
Everyday more people are dying
As his invisible army
Continues to march across the world
The politicians dither and dather
Loudly proclaiming victory
As thousands lie dying
Wear the Damn Mask
If you want to restore normalcy
If you want to save the country
If you want to accomplish your goals
There is one thing you can do
A simple low cost method
All you have to do
Is for everyone mask up
The life you save
May be your own
An Old man refuses to wear the mask of death
An old man
Sat in a bar
Complaining about masks
I don’t need to wear a damn mask
I am tough
The virus is a liberal hoax
And it will not get me
The man said
Went home
The next day
He woke up dead
The moral of the story
Wear your damn mask
The life you save
May be your owned
Republican Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina
took to his face book page, to announce
that he, his wife, and his son
had all tested positive for COVID-19.
Calling it the “Wuhan Flu,”
Rice said that his son
got it the worst,
with a high fever and coughing,
but seemed “on the mend.
Rice said his and his wife’s cases
were less severe,
with his wife having it worse.
According to him,
his son first came down
with symptoms last Sunday,
Rep. Rice was in the House chambers
and on the floor the week
before his son showed symptoms.
At that time, Rep. Rice
did not wear a mask
when he was on the floor.
“I’m socially distancing.
I’m staying six feet away from folks.
Rep. Rice did say he would wear the mask
if he was in a space like an airplane
where he couldn’t keep the distance
between him and others.
Calling COVID-19 the “Wuhan flu”
is not simply an attempt at pushing
a racist and xenophobic conspiracy theory,
it’s also just not correct.
The 2019 novel coronavirus isn’t the “flu.”
And people like Rep. Tom Rice
And his master, Donald J Trump
Our great leader
have been spending their time
telling news outlets
and their constituents
that the coronavirus<
pandemic was nothing to panic about,
and that very few people
were going to die from it.
Over 150,000 Americans are now Ghosts
having lost their lives to the pandemic.
Due to the criminal negligence
And incompetence
Of our great leader
Rice has toed the exact line
that the Trump administration
has drawn for him.
He has said there was
nothing to worry about,
and followed that up
by promoting the idea that anyone
pushing for big closures
and serious social distancing measures
was panicking.
And were left wing democrats
Who hated America
And wanted to ruin
The greatest economy
The world had ever seen
Under the greatest president
The world has ever seen
and what do the dead have to say
were they consulted
no for they remain dead
ghosts in the corona wind
He then subsequently
promoted the idea that
Trump is doing everything he can
and that the Republican Party
has always promoted the
public health measures
needed to prevent
the spread of COVID-19
we … somehow see in front of us today.
All in all
Proof that poetic justice
Is alive and well
And karma
Well she is a bitch
And loves
To kick us In the ass
That’s the nature
Of this whole karma thing
What goes around
Comes around
And no one can escape
Their karmic fate
American Independent kwoa poem
As Americans begin to celebrate
Their Independence Date
Making Americans begin to feel great
They are meeting their fate
Consumed with fears and newly filled with hate
They grimly wait their date
Through out the land in every single State
Everyone waits for their date
It is hard to keep it all filled with dire straight
Everything must frustrate
That is what makes it so difficult
Waiting for their death
The dancing with the damn corona fate
Just for their fate that date
Americans all die
Americans in every state
Waiting for their damn fate
Everything is everything
It will all sort itself off
As we stand shoulder to shoulder
Watching the fireworks
Wearing our masks
While socially distancing
Of course
pensively 101 prompt
Any time the corona wind blows
Any time the wind blows
A brief breath of fresh air
Each a welcome reprieve
Form the corona madness
Swirling all around us
pensively 101 prompt
governor Covid Karmic Bitch
The news
that the governor of Oklahoma
Came down with Covid
Possibly after attending
The super spreading rally
In Tulsa the site
Of the newly -re- established
Indian reservation
The governor was not a mask wearer
Proudly insinuating
That real men
Don’t wear masks
Now he is the first
But won’t be the last
To get COVID
Joining the President of Brazil
The PM of Britain
And the PM of Canada
In that dubious club
Of infinity
Poetic justice at work
ain’t karma a bitch
President Trump
Continues to not wear
A mask
Darkly muttering
That requiring a mask
Is a democratic plot
Fed by the mass media
To undermine
His authority
Wearing a mask
He sneers
Means you have given in
To the fake news
And the evil government’s plots
Really men don’t wear masks
He says over And over again
Until one day
Soon he will come down
With the dreaded covid
General Corona
Has him in his cross hairs
And soon all too soon
The president
Will join the infamous club
Of world leaders
COVID positive
And he will soon know
That the law of karma
Is a real bitch
Governor Covid Victim Poetic Justice
The news
that the governor of Oklahoma
Came down with Covid
Possibly after attending
The super spreading rally
In Tulsa the site
Of the newly -re- established
Indian reservation
The governor was not a mask wearer
Proudly insinuating
That real men
Don’t wear masks
Now he is the first
But won’t be the last
To get COVID
Joining the President of Brazil
The PM of Britain
And the PM of Canada
The major of Atlanta
Rep. Tim Smith
In that dubious club
Of infamy
Leaders who are covid victims
Poetic justice at work
ain’t karma a bitch
Ain’t Karma a bitch fib poem
Ain’t
It
Karma
Fucking bitch
The Corona
Corona Spreading everywhere
Virus spreading everywhere
Ain’t karma a fucking hot bitch
corona
Ain’t karma a hot fucking bitch
Life with corona is just rich
quite a witch
No one knows where it is heading
no one knows where it is spreading
Your wedding
General corona leads his troops
His virus is unloaded whoops
Pooping oops
The End
Worrying about corona while eating dinner – pensively 101 posted
As I eat my evening meal
Enjoying the early dusk
Worrying about corona
Death rears its ugly head
Where is my home? Where do I belong?
I really don’t know, always moving on to another place
Moved every other year it seems the last 45 years
Traveled to 49 states, 45 countries, drove across the U.S. six times
Lived in Berkeley, Yakima, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, DC, Oregon, Korea, Thailand, India, The Eastern Caribbean, and Spain
Where do I belong? Where is my home?
Neither here nor there, nowhere and everywhere
And so is that my rambling man’s fate
Never to really belong anywhere at all
Dark Dangerous Thoughts
dark dangerous thoughts
An old man wakes up
Confronting the dark dangerous thoughts
The demons of the night
That haunt his dreams
And his life
He looks out at the dawning sun
And his sleeping wife
And realizes that it will be all right
And dismisses the demons of the night
Back to their caves in his mind
And he gets up
To take the dawning day
In Search of America
Hitchhiking Tales
hitch hikers
When I was young and foolish
Broke and stubborn
I hitchhiked across the USA
Started in Salt Lake City
Where my greyhound bus pass
Was stolen
The station manager
Could have helped me
But refused to do so
Threaten to call the cops
When I grabbed my bags
Without the stolen tags
I said
Go ahead
But I am so out of here
Wondered about Salt Lake City
Went to a bar
Found I had to buy my booze
Next door
And they would mix it for me
Had to order food too
After a bloody Mary
And a burger
I walked about town
Saw the Mormon Temple
Finally about 3 pm
It was time to hit the road
Did not look back
Ended up in Cody Wyoming
Got a room shower
Steak beer
Using my rapidly depleted cash
Spent 25 dollars
Money really went far
Back in those days
A band of professional
Communist agitators
Gave me a ride
To Des Moines
Lots of weed, booze
And politics later
Got off the road
Slept outside
Next day
A beautiful woman
Drove me to near Chicago
In a red mustang
Might have been
The girl in the song
Took it easy
Digging her vibe
She invited home
But was not sure
If her estranged husband
Would welcome me
So I being foolish
And inexperienced with women
Did not go to her place
And always regretted
That I had lost
My chance that day
Then on to Chicago
Several rides later
Visited friends
Hit the road again
A series of uneventful rides
With truckers
And others
And a week later
I ended in New York City
Slept along the way
In cars
In truck stops
In highway rest stops
Always moving
Always going
None stop talking
And lots of free weed
And beer
And conversation
One more memorable ride
Occurred outside Albany
On my return to Chicago
A middle age creepy looking man
Picked me up
In a brand new Cadillac
He was he said a dynamite deliverer
For the Mafia
Went to various places
To blow up shit
He hated a lot of people
Particularly hippies from California
And Jewish people
Looking at me to confirm
That I was both
I told him that I lived in New York
And had never been to California
And although I might look Jewish
As I what was called back in the day
A “Jewfro”
I was not Jewish
Many years later I discovered
That I am indeed part Jewish
But then I did not know
And I felt a bit of strategic information
Might keep me alive
Then I realized that he was just jiving with me
And we relaxed
And he pulled out some weed
And beer
And we mellowed out
But I believe that he really was with the mob
Perhaps not a dynamite dealer
A real made Italian made mafia member
By Chicago
I had enough
I called my Dad
Told him what had happened
Wanted a ticket home
And he sent me a ticket
And 500 dollars
And I went home
I told him I would tell him
My tales someday
But never did
I learned so much
About my fellow Americans
And the strange vibe
That was 1975
And now it is too late
But I wanted to finally
Tell the world
Of my hitchhiking tales
In search of America 1975
Bus Rides In America’s Underbelly
bus riding
I am a bus rider
That makes me unusual
For a white male
From an upper middle class family
Our people are not bus riders
Though some are subway riders
Bus riders are other people
The poor, minorities, immigrants
People who don’t drive
Because they are blind
Or have a DUI
And in my case
I don’t drive
Because I have bad vision
And bad coordination
Just never got the hang
Of the whole driving thing
Fortunately for me
My wife does the driving
But I still take the bus
From time to time
I rode the AC buses in Berkeley
As a child
Line 67, line 51, line 43 F bus
Rode them long before BART came along
And afterwards as well
As an adult seldom rode the bus
But when I did so
I was always impressed
By the sheer diversity
Of the bus riding property
Hundreds of languages
All sorts of sexual orientation
Some were white
Most were not
Most of my fellow passengers
Were nice enough
Some were friendly
And some were lost
In their own thoughts
And a few
Were scary looking dudes
With the look
Of someone who had done time
And were capable of more violence
I also rode the bus
In Seattle as a graduate student
A lot of fellow UW students
And the usual immigrants
Minorities etc
And some white people
Commuting
And in DC
Over the years
I rode a lot of buses
Mostly to and from the metro
But I got to know
And love the DC buses as well
I also took the greyhound bus
Across the country
Several times over the years
All over the U.S.
From Bay Area to Stockton
From Bay Area to Clear Lake
From Bay area to NYC
NYC to DC
All over the USA
Taking the Greyhound
Was always an adventure
Met a lot of interesting people
As people on long distant bus rides
Tend to open up and talk
To pass the time away
Overseas I took the bus
All over
In India, in Barbados
In Spain and in Korea
The Korean buses
For many years
Were difficult for foreign visitors
As the signs were all in Korean
Most have signs
Now in English, Chinese and Korean
And are much more foreigner friendly
Riding the bus
In America
Allows one access
To the underbelly of American society
The poor, the marginalized
The immigrant communities
That many middle-class white people
Just never see
And for that reason
I am glad
That I am a bus rider
Notes from the Author :
Based on my experiences riding the bus all over the world from 1968 to 2018.
-wearing a mask should not be a political statement
more corona poems posted on the day the death rate hit 105,000 Americans
Here are some of my recent Corona poems. Many have been posted earlier and some have been published, many were posted on All Poetry, Poetry Soup and elsewhere. These poems are sometimes very political and perhaps in your face a bit but I am outraged at how badly the US and other countries have handled the Corona pandemic and dismayed to see that it is still being seen as a partisan political issue. This is particularly true of the fake controversy over wearing a mask. There can be no controversy – wearing masks save lives and is a very small infringement on individual rights so I just don’t understand that reluctance of some people to wear masks in public. Hence my outrage. Some of these poems were posted earlier, a few have been published and a few are newly written. Enjoy and the offer still stands for guest Covid Poems as I may write an update in a few months.
Wearing a Mask is not a political statement
To the owner of Liberty Bar and Grill
Corona Virus Stalks Me
Mad Mask Fears
Hope Springs Eternal in Our Year of Discontent
Wearing a Mask is not a political statement
Ode to Nurses
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
Conqueor Worm Corona Sonnet
Cosmic Debris Corona Sonnet
God Deals with Corona
Voice Message to God
General Corona Leads His Troops into Battle
Total Success
General Corona is Happy
Watching as the Entire World Falls Apart
Corona Virus Paranoia
End of the World
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
We Live in an Orwellian World
Woman Releases Balloons of Hope
Life Interrupted by Corona
The End of the World News Depresses Me
God Did Not Send the Virus to Punish America Found Poem
The Virus from Hell is Amused
Every Day I Turn on the News *
Irony Meters Blows a Gasket
Chaos
My Phobias Overwhelms Me
Fear Fills the Air
Is This the Best We Can Get
More Trouble Every Day
Taking a Walk in the Corona Woods
Lone Man in Empty Parking Lot
Virus King Cried *
Bring Out Your Dead
The Corona Virus is Testing Us All
Last Human on Island
Part Two Short Poems
Corona virus Haiflu
Virus came from Hell Haiflu
Bring Out Your Dead Haiflu
Death Comes Knocking Haiflu
Be Afraid, Afraid Haiflu
Virus Came from Hell Haiflu
Corona Virus Tanka
Calls Goes Out Haiflu
Corona virus haiflu
End of the World Haiflu
Walking in the Woods Haiflu
To Wear or Not Wear Haiflu
Watching the News Haiflu
corona Cinqku
Part One Longer Poems
Watching the News while 100,000 Americans Lie Dead
On the day
when the death toil
reached over 100,000 people
I turned on the news
the president remained silent
As the deaths continue to increase
Watching the news
the president and his minions
continuously lying
about his great job
his great success
As the deaths continue to increase
blaming everything
on everyone else
China, Obama, the democrats, liberals
Fake science, university researchers
the media simply for asking inconvenient questions
As the deaths continue to increase
attacking people for wearing masks
making wearing a mask
a political question
– real men don’t wear masks
As the deaths continue to increase
Self -proclaiming a transition to greatness
and still 35% of Americans
applaud this broken down
man who is our leader
As the deaths continue to increase
god help us all, if there is a God
perhaps he has abandoned us
in our hour of need, and left us
with the President who yearns to king
As the deaths continue to increase
our President will eventually
no longer be our President
and perhaps we will
be a greater country
once this nightmare is over
As the deaths continue to increase
Wearing a Mask is not a political statement
masked woman
to my friends in America
to those who think
that somehow the corona virus
only infects other people
that it is all a liberal hoax
overblown nothing more than a bad flu
and nothing to do with me
demanding that we all go
back to work right now
but refuse to wear a mask
that wearing a mask
is an infringement on your freedom
and a sign of weakness
and a political statement
that you are against the President
and a democrat
and a democrat
what is wrong with you?
have you lost your humanity?
A mask is not a political statement
a mask means you care
about other people’s life
and your own as well
will millions have to die
so you can have a Big Mac?
and a beer
whenever you damn please
and no one can tell you
please wear a mask
have you lost all reason?
Have you lost all reason?
is it all now
about owning the dems
and the damn liberates
is there any thing left
in your cold greedy heart?
and you still proclaim
that you are Christian
as you violate all the Christian principles
what would Jesus do
what does the bible say
we should do
in the midst of this pandemic
is it the Christian thing to do
is it the Christian thing to do
to let millions of people die
did not Christ talk about love
compassion and mercy
would not Jesus wear a mask
to protect himself and others
from this ravaging disease
that does not care who you are
who you voted for
which church you go to
and Jesus and God are not there
watching all of us
as the virus spreads
it will affect you
sooner or later
sooner or later
and when it does
perhaps if you had worn
a mask
you might have prevented
a few more people
from joining the 100,000 already dead
a few more people
including your grandfather, grandmother
friend, relative, co-workers might be alive
if you were not such a self-centered person
and I appeal to you my friend
to grow up, become a member
of the human race again
I understand that you are banning
wearing of masks inside your bar
because somehow wearing a mask
offends you and your Christian values
and makes a political statement
that the person wearing a mask
is a libtard or a Democrat
or anti-Trump
and those kinds are not welcomed
in your bar and grill
therefore you are putting your staff
your friends and your family at risk
of catching and spreading
the corona virus
the corona virus
You say that you don’t care
if people get the corona virus
it is nothing but a cold or flue
but the thing about it
the deadly thing about the virus
the virus does not care about you
or your political views
and if you or your friends catch it
some of them will get sick and die
and it would all be because of your actions
and wearing a mask is not
a political statement
wearing a mask does not show weakness
wearing a mask does not show weakness
and does not mean that the wearer
is a political enemy
I would respect you more
If you posted a sign
no liberals, democrats
non-whites, gays and anti-trumpers
allowed but that would be illegal
so you take it out on mask wearers
you are so following the Christian faith
what would Jesus say to you
I wonder?
Just shut up already
Put on the damn mask no doubt
Corona Virus Stalks Me
the dreaded corona virus
led by the demented general Corona
seems to be stalking me
everywhere I go
images of the dead
come to life
accusing me of something
as they fade in and out of view
ghostly images fill my fogged up glasses
as I walk down the street
hidden deep inside my masks
and I fear everyone
which is of course part
of the corona virus’s evil’s plan
to drive us all mad sending us to hell
News is Still Grim
watching the daily news
the constant doom and gloom
makes me want to cry
and hide away
waiting
waiting
waiting
for the end of the news
and a return to normal
but that seems
like a distant dream
perhaps it is our fate
perhaps it will be over
perhaps it will never
be over
and the news drones
on
and
on
on
and
on
overwhelming
me
with
cosmic
dread
as hundreds of thousands people
lie dead
Mad Mask Fears
I don’t understand
this fear of wearing a mask
somehow making you weak
that wearing a mask
is a political statement
“Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself with a forest dark
for the straightforward pathway had been lost”
THE THOUGHT COMES TO MIND
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE
ALL
LOST
THEIR
MINDS
content tracing Dante Inferno Canto one Line 1 to 3
Hope Springs Eternal in our Year of our Discontent
corona virus
Every day I watch
The daily news
That fills us with dread
Perfect storm of hatred,
fear and despair
Everywhere we go
nonstop fear broadcasted
Despair fills my heart as I turn on the news
Everywhere we are in the midst of the pandemic
Simply put death is at hand
Planning for the future yet waiting for death
At worst we will all die not today but soon
In the long term we are all dead
Remembering the dead all around us
yet I end this poem with a word of hope
hoping for the best
while preparing for the worst
all I can do to stay sane
as I await my fate
on this dismal date
April 1 is indeed
April Fool’s date
is that our fate
this endless dance with death?
and to end with a sign of hope
I know that if I have you by my side
I will survive I will survive
until the end of time itself
takes us to the other side
Ode for Nurses
In honor of national nursing day
I offer this simple poem
thanks to all the nurses
who work so hard
24/7
to keep us all alive
and healthy
you are the real heroes
of America
and deserve so much more
that you get
thank you
for all you do
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
in these dark and dire times
we find ourselves living
we often fear that the times
are infected with death
and so we are afraid
deathly afraid
that if we take a plane
we will find General Corona
among the passengers
and we afraid
deadly afraid
that the subways
are incubators
of death and destruction
the virus spreads
fear and death
in its wake
many of us
retreating to our homes
and venturing out
in our cars
only to find
death is stalking us
as traffic piles up
traffic accidents
still killing more people
that the dreaded General Corona
the grim reaper smiles
his work is done
Satan thanks General. Corona
for a job well done
the Conqueror Worm Corona Sonnet
Lo, t’s a galla night
within the lonesome later years
when around the world
the dreaded corona virus showed its might
spending fear to those in their later years
that it might take them in the night
that before the sun came up
their time on earth would end up
DEATH IS COMING
TO US ALL
WE
WAIT
LATE
FATE
# content tracing: the Conqueror Worm By Edgar Allan Poe
I received a mysterious email package
followed by a phone call offering me a magical mask
a mask that they claim would prevent me
from the dreaded General Corona
hey there
who you jiving with that cosmic debris
a mask that they did not want me
me to know about
TOP SECRET CODE 2 LEVEL STUFF
MUST ACT NOW
SEND MONEY ASAP
BUY
IT
NOW
# content tracing- “Cosmic Debris by Frank Zappa”
with apologies to Frank Zappa
Corona Consumes Me Corona Sonnet 3
I am consumed by the corona virus
and I am slowly being taken over
as the virus infects my mind
taking me over turning me
into a wild raving zombie man
Let there be light
will I become the first
ZOMBIE APOLYCAPASE LOOMS
WILL WE ALL DIE
CORONA
KILLS
ME
content tracing – Let there be light from Bible and the entire Zombie Apocalypse genre where the Zombie flu started usually in China as a flu and then morphs into the zombie disease
God Deals with Corona
god is having a crisis meeting
on the corona virus situation
on planet 679542099199
otherwise known as planet earth
in a minor corner
of the milky way
the deranged inhabitants
of the planet
somehow thought that GOD
created them in his image
and that they are his children
all of them
and that he listens to his prayers
god was so tired of dealing with humans
the most ornery stubborn stupid creatures
of all the millions of sentient beings
he had to deal with them
more than any one else
God created the world
but then let nature take its course
and sometimes things worked out
and sometimes they did not
and God just did not have the time
to deal with every little detail
of life on millions of planets
across the vast universe
His arch enemy Satan
banished to Hell’s prison
was always causing trouble
everywhere in the universe
and Satan also loved the mad
creatures on planet earth
what was god to do
he did not know
as he saw the death rates
increase and grim reaper’s
armies go to work
his courts will be filled
billions stuck in limbo
for centuries
just did not have enough
staff to do the work
God signed off the conference
and sighed again
thinking about the mad creatures
on the planet earth
hoping that they would pull it together
but knowing that he might have to intervene
and went back to his other business
enough of humans for one day
General Corona Leads His Troops Into Battle, crown of sonnets
General Corona leads his forces across the world
riding on a black horse
from out of the Apocalypse
ride the four horsemen
which are let loose upon the world
He leads his forces across the world
into battle as the leader of his evil forces
The enemy of humanity
General Corona he does not care
nor does his virus minions care
about your nationality he does not care
about your politics he does not care
or your wealth or who you are
the corona general sees humanity
the corona general sees humanity
as nothing but hosts for his virus army
chanting death to humanity
until his evil army sweeps throughout the world
throughout the world
and millions must die
it is the will of the general
all must die
and it is the end of the world
or perhaps the beginning of a new world
filled with hope and love through out the world
humanity comes alive throughout the world
fighting back against the virus army
peace, love and compassion defeats the army
and general corona will finally himself die
Voice Message for God
dialing 202-346-5666 Beep
You have reached GOD
Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish
leave a message or prayer
and maybe an angel will call you
will get back to you Beep
Hey GOD someone sent me your number
and well I hope I’ve reached your number
I don’t know where to start that’s the point
GOD I am scared of you
all the time is my point
I am so afraid, so scared
of the dreaded General Corona
and his invisible army is my point
and his invisible army is my point
forcing me to stay at home
and I am sacred
that you anointed the wrong man
to be our leader, that makes me sacred
not to second guess you man
your will be done and all of that man
but GOD, can’t you do better job my man
of anointing our leaders to serve under GOD
of all the people in the U.S. dear God
this is the best you can do?, man?
I mean you picked perhaps the one man
in the world who could be the anti-chris, God
Seriously GOD what is wrong with you? man
Seriously, GOD, what is wrong with you? man
was this all sort of a cosmic joke?
well it ain’t funny any more ain’t no joke
Please GOD make it all go away, man
Please GOD for the love of GOD
and all that is holly and good, man
just make it all go away, GOD
and anoint someone else, man
a real leader for a change, GOD
and let him lead us to the promised land
this I pray in Jesus’s name, my man
and if I don’t make it, GOD
We have a lot to talk about GOD
See you on the other side, my man
Isolation Blues
During these trying times
we huddle at home
afraid to go out
afraid of the dreaded
General Corona that is out
and his evil secret armies
keeping us all at home
terrified of becoming a victim
a corona virus statistic
what a way to go out
no way do I want to end my life
to out out that way
so we will endure this day
these isolation blues
General Corona is coming for us all
I saw the best minds of my generation
destroyed by madness
consumed by the greed
all around us
the dreaded corona virus spreads
its death and destruction
all over the world
no one can escape
THE FATE OF THE WORLD
IS INDEED AT STAKE
NONE OF US CAN
ESCAPE
OUR
FATE
content tracing “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg
total Success
The President’s Son-in-law declares
that the government’s response
to the corona virus
has been a total success
as the government
step up to the plate
to fight the virus from hell
I have to wonder
on what planet
does the words
105,000 deaths in three months
and another great depression
becomes total success?
from our dear leader
and his hapless son-in-law
General Corona is Happy
General Corona
is happy
his mission is a great success
as his armies of virus bots
spread throughout the world
spreading chaos and destruction
as all bow down
to his invisible armies
none can escape their fate
on that date
that he unleashed his armies
upon the world
all humans must die
his armies scream out
Watching as the Entire World Falls Apart
watching as the entire world falls apart
consumed by fears of the end of the world
things continue to fall apart around us
humanity turns to silent gods
who turn a deaf ear to our suffering madness
as the virus from hell spreads out all around
fearful people desperately running here
fearful people desperately running there
praying to the silent gods above us all
to rescue them from this hellish nightmare fate
that seems to becoming our fate this late date
and as we all die a million deaths just our fate
Corona Virus Paranoia
fears of the virus
fear of the coming pandemic
paranoia in the air
fear of the other
fear of the coming super bug
the end of the world
all wrapped up
in a simple weaponized virus
End of the world fears
tossed and turned
could not get to sleep
fearful of everything
fears consume me
as the nightmare news played
on in the background
screaming the latest
paranoid conspiracy
end of the world
nightmares becoming real
is the zombie “Apocalypse near
is it time for us to all
to run
for the proverbial hills?
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
jehova
Rev. Jake ’s on-line sermon on the Corona Virus
I am reverend Jake and I have a message from God
Last night I had a vision from God
it was his message to the world
about this pandemic we are facing
I found myself in a large room
Jehovah, God, was sitting in the middle
surrounded by the other Gods
they were all there
Jesus on his right
Allah on his left
Buddha behind him
Ganesh, Shiva, Kali
Mohammed, Joseph Smith and other prophets
Gabriel and other angels abound
St Peter in front of his as his Chief of Staff
Zeus, Jupiter, Minerva and ancient
other gods all around him
God spoke up
He said
I have a message for you
to give to your people
all of your people
no matter what religion
or no religion at all
it is all one after all
first the corona virus
is a natural phenomenon
we have no control
over forces of nature
and we did not send
it to you
to punish you
for homosexuality
or anything else at all
Second obey the health directives
stay at home
do your services on line
it is okay with us
we are fine with that
the blood of Jesus
will not save you
If you are in a crowded place
like church or a mosque service
the virus will spread
and catch you in the end
Prayers alone will not save you
but please keep praying
we do listen to your prayers
but we can only do so much
So please don’t allow the virus
to spread
because of your ignorance
and fear
realize that in the end
the virus will do its thing
and you will survive
and we
all the gods here
love you humans
and wish you well
so stay at home
practice self-distancing
It is God’s will
all will survive
We Live in an Orwellian world
1984 images
we are living
in an Orwellian 1984 world
and have been for decades
we are assaulted daily
by alternative realties
promoted by various politicians
designed to shut down
all rational thought
true Orwellian thought control
and now with the corona virus
massive surveillance
has become the norm
and when the crisis is over
the surveillance will continue
on one excuse after another
forever as Orwell’s nightmare
big brother ruling us all
comes true
based on the fear that the massive increase in social surveillance being deployed against the Corona virus will after the crisis is over continue forever under one excuse or another as the Orwellian big brother dictatorships around the world become permanent
Woman releases balloons of hope
balloons for peace
A young woman
walks in a park
on a sunny spring day
carrying 25 red balloons
each red balloon
contains the name of those
that recently died
in the corona virus pandemic
she is releasing the balloons
hoping they would
rise to heaven
with a request for God
to hear her prayers
End this pandemic
End the death and destruction
release us from the corona pandemic
the woman releases the balloons
and slowly walks back to her house
to prepare to attend yet another funeral
as the pandemic swirls all around her
creative talents unleashed prompt
life interrupted by corona
covid19
we live in a strange world
life interrupted by corona
the virus spread throughout the world
disrupting everything
putting life on hold
as more people
hunkered down
waiting for the virus
to pass over us
like in biblical times
the virus
will test us all
and then
we will all
go back
to life interrupted
The end of the world news depresses me
trump jpg
the end of the world news
depresses me
makes me want to shout and scream
Shut up, leave me alone
to deal with my grief
amid the death and destruction
watching CNNMSNBCFOXBBC media nonstop
filled with essential dread
the end of the world is upon us
from the screaming news media
spreading forth across the land
fake news screams the president
all is alright he proclaims
no one believes his 16,000 lies
and so it goes
we are drowning with information
coming at us so fast and furious
When will it end my friend
is anyone’s guess
in the long run we are dead
God Did not Send the Corona Virus as a Punishment Black Out Poem
Robert_Jeffress
Corona Pandemic is Not’s God’s Punishment
Amid the coronavirus pandemic,
President Trump
Attended virtual Easter church services
I’ve had talks with the pastors,
We need to get back
to church so badly.”
Rev Jeffries is a great guy
I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Rev Jeffries said
The 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment
on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,”
‘Well, I just don’t understand
why God wouldn’t protect our nation
and he would allow these
radical Muslims in 2001
to kill 3,000 of our citizens
and why God doesn’t protect us
Surely, God doesn’t use pagans
to bring judgment
upon his own people,
does he?’”
I am sad to report
Rev Jeffries
I spoke to God
This morning
He confirmed
He did not cause 9-11
To bring judgement
On the US
For abortion
He went on to say
The corona virus
Is beyond his control
And he is not sending it
To punish the US
Or the world
His final words
Please tell Rev Jeffries
To simply shut up
the Virus from Hell is amused
corona virus
the Virus from Hell is amused
laughing at the world’s panicked reaction
as it marches through the world unabated
infecting everyone in its wake
as the world awaits its fate
the virus smiles he ain’t no fake
he is the real deal
he is death itself
he is the end of the world
the grim reaper is smiling
god is silent as usual
the world’s leaders
dither and dater
as the economy craters
everyone hoping that God
will save them
the virus does not care
insults and orders do not work
the virus simply does its virus thing
infecting everyone it encounters
and thousands will die
equal opportunity offender
killing the rich and the poor alike
but more poor people
just so many more poor people
than the few billionaires
the virus smile
his work is done
and mankind is doomed
so be it the virus thinks
that is the way of the world
and the virus is the new king
of the world
every day I turn on the news
nothing but news about the virus
the virus from hell
the world is filled with fear
and my anxiety levels rise
every time I turn on the news
oh my god I say
we are all going to die
and I am so afraid
afraid of everyone
afraid of everything
dreading the latest news
and nothing relieves my fear
I watch the world
loosing its collective mind
wondering how much more of this
can we all take
I scream out
Dear God save us all
god is silent as usual
and so I realized
we are doomed
perhaps it is the end times
perhaps not
I turn off the TV
try to stay calm
hoping the madness
will not overwhelm us all
Irony Meters Blow Gaskets
donald trump
the Irony meter gasket
is blown again and again
with every statement
of our chaos president
and his endless surrogates
promoting the latest Presidential
on spot guidance by our great leader
that must be true
because our dear leader
says it is so
The President accuses his democratic rival
of being senile and needs to be in home
and will be run by his radical left allies
and the right wing media
echoes the presidential absurd comments
refusing to acknowledge
that the president himself
is rapidly fading into dementia
and his radical right cronies
are looting the government
driving out expertise
even in the midst of pandemic
Oh yeah the irony meters
are blowing gaskets
every single day
Chaos
trump clown in chief
the world descends into chaos
as our world leaders
led by the chaos president
are overwhelmed
by the smallest
enemy of all
a simple virus
straight out of hell
blows through the crumbling
third world public health infrastructure
living proof of the decline of America
and no one is prepared
and panic ensures
with every Presidential tweet
as people don’t believe
a word he says
conspiracy rumors spread
everyone believes their own reality
as the world spins out of control
the chaos king is in his element
convince that only he knows
the deal
and everyone else
is iust a bit player
in the reality show
that he presides over
and so the rest of us
hunker down
just hoping for the best
as the panic and
chaos spreads faster
than the virus
are we doomed
can we survive
will God save us?
he is silent as always
My Phobias Overwhelm Me
covid 19 spread
lately I have become scared
of everything
the news scares me, the corona virus scares me, the presidential race scares me, fears of gun men in the street, terrorism, fears of getting sick, fears of dogs, fears of other people, fear of loosing money, fears of becoming demented old man, lost in his nightmares on the street just another invisible homeless bum in the end of his life
all these phobias overwhelm me
time to walk away from my fears
and realize
it will be alright
everything will be alright
As long as I have you
by my side
Fear Fills the Air
cnn logo
watching the news
CNNMSNBCFOXBBCKOREANNEWSJAPANESENEWSBLOOMBERABCCBSNBCGOOGLEAPPLEREUTERSAPIRUSSIANTVCHINESTVFRENCHTV
blather on and on
the world is ending
pandemic is coming
we are going to die
and the fear grows
and the restrictions grow
travel comes to stop
the economy comes to a stop
everyone is so afraid
our leaders fret
say that everything is fine
as the world enters
the second great depression
and we are faced
with the reality
all over the world
idiots in high places
the masters of the universe
are in charge
the internet spreads
the wildest rumors
must be true
I read it on the internet
the truth is lost
in the shuffle
no one believes anyone
everything thinks
that they know
it is all a conspiracy
the thought comes to mind
we are all so ’S….
end of the world
is upon us
is this the best we can get?
trump
watching the news
one wonders
how in this great country
of ours
335 million people
among the most educated
richest people in the world
we can end up
with such idiots in high places
running out country?
these idiots in charge
no disrespect intended
both political parties
all corporations
and our institutions
except maybe the military
has been infected
by this virus
of epic incompetence
greed and indifference
to the general good
who loudly constantly proclaim
that they are Christians
while violating
all of Christ’s teachings
Jesus if he came back
would scream out
I am not Christian
it is all about me
and mine
and you can go
to hell
if you dare to disagree
and so we tweet and titter
and watch the news
reading the latest rumors
and I wonder
if there is a god
or if there is a devil
and are we overwhelmed
by the dismal news
why can’t we have better
leaders
better people
in our leaders
around the world
has god abandoned us
are we in hell
or did god ever exist
except in our fevered imagination
will god save us all
or will the world
just go around the sun
indifferent to our pleas?
no answer
must watch the news
consumed by the need
to see the latest news
and so it goes
and I wake up
the sun is up
and the nightmares
fade away
until I watch the news
and the madness consumes
us all again and again
as the corona virus
marches on and on
consuming us all
as the world falls apart
these must be the end times
I hope I will be raptured away
even if I am not a Christian
More Trouble Every Day
The Old Zappa song plays
on in my head
every time I turn on the news
and see more trouble every day
no one can delay
the trouble coming every day
Frank Zappa died too soon
before the horrors of the Trump era
and the corona end of the world plague
that he would have foreseen
if he had lived on
he was truly a prophet
crying in the wildness
while making money
as an over night sensation
as he saw the slime
oozing out of the TV sets
we will do what we are told
for the rights to us have been sold
And Jesus too
has been sold
to the highest bidder
nothing but a business deal
in America
the land of the constant deal
and so I turn off the TV
and realize that
the torture never ends
the torture never ends
Taking a Walk in the Corona Era
peace forest
every day I go for a walk
in the spring time woods
near my house
braving the weather
and the dreaded corona virus
wearing masks and gloves
keeping a distance
from anyone we encounter
that is life it seems
in the era of the corona virus
when will it end
no one knows
until then
I will brave the viral threat
and confront my fears
and walk in the park
with the love of my life
my bride my wife
by my side
in these challenging times
that is all we can do
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
empty parking lot
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
contemplating the new normal
social distancing run amuck
as fears of the corona super plague
plague the land
driving everyone inside
sheltering in place
afraid to go out
afraid of the deadly c virus
The Virus King Cried
virus king cried
published in Muse McAalster Journal
the virus king smiled
as the politicians lied
saying that the end was near
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king sneered
as people panicked
and partied on the beach
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king laughed
as the markets crashed
millions became unemployed
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king roared
as the world slid into chaos
people turning on one another
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king smirked
knowing that there was nothing
that they could do to stop
his army from infecting millions
and killing thousands
the virus King begin to realize
that soon there would be no one left
no one for his army to infect
as everyone was dying
the virus King yelled
remaining defiant
as civilization collapsed
billions were infected
millions died
the Virus King at last cried
when he saw that he was defeated
as one by one
people began to recover
and his reign of terror came to an end
Bring out your dead
grimm reaper
the call bring out your dead
spreads around the world
as millions die
all over the world
the virus has spread
mutated and killed
all over the world
bring out your dead
the mournful cries
echoing in the wind
of the dying cities
mass starvation
as no is working
in the fields
as more people die
and the world spins
around the sun
with the politicians lying
and the dead still dying
as civilization dies
and humanity flee
into the wilderness
chased by the killer virus
straight down to hell
the corona virus is testing us all
the corona virus is testing us all
is it a plague
sent by God
if we have faith
will we recover
or it is beyond our control
the end of the world
does god hear our prayers
does god even exist
the virus from hell
spreads around the world
and test our faith
will god save us all
I have no answer
but perhaps if god exists
we will recover
from this plague
from hell
the four horse men ready to ride
four horsemen
the end of the world is upon us
as god unleashes the corona virus
which is spreading across the land
the four horse men are ready
to begin their grim journey
announcing the end of the world
the white horse comes first
offering peace and hope
in the midst of death
and despair
the red horse rides second
ushering in war
throughout the world
as nations turn on each other
and civil war looms
the Black Horse is ready
unleashing famine
on a starving world
as people stay at home
and food rots in the field
no one is able
to work any more
as the virus kills more
and more
the pale horse rides last
bringing death
in his wake
death all around us
as the virus kills us all
and civilization ends
the four horse men
have done their job
the virus finishes its reign of terror
and the few survivors
beging to recover
end of the world
came and went
and they are still alive
thanks to God
who remains silent
as always
Last Human on Island
in the deep blue sea
nothing there
but death and destruction
virus all around
pandemic plague
Apocalyptic views
end of times
death of civilization
Part Two Haiku, Haifu and CoVid Ku Poems
corona virus Haiku
corona virus
corona virus
staying home
waiting for death
Afraid everything
the virus came from hell
the virus came from hell
staying home waiting for death
Afraid everything
Bring Out Your Dead
bring out your dead cries
break out all over the world
we are waiting death
death comes knocking
death comes knocking
on our doorsteps tonight
will God hear prayers
be afraid, afraid
be afraid afraid
Must be afraid every one
Death is at our door
The Virus Came From Hell
the virus came from Hell
ravaging the entire world
all waiting for death
Corona Virus Fears Tanka
cover 19
Corona virus
lurking fears all around me
we all will die
the TV screaming nonstop
Must be afraid
The call goes out
the call goes out
stay at home
to beat the dreaded c virus
will we live
or all die?
five Haiflu/covid ku poems
corona virus
corona virus
spreading across the land
death waiting for us
end of the world
corona virus
it seems to be coming soon
end of the world
Walking in the woods
walking in the woods
amid corona virus
waiting for my death
To Wear or Not Wear a Mask
to wear or not wear
a mask is it just political
makes a statement
Watching the news
watching the news
crying at the growing deaths
politicians lying
Corona Cingku
virus
came from hell
to wipe us out
everyone must prepare
meet God
Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part Two April 16 to April 30
final statistics for the month – 165 poems written , most posted here or in part one. Enjoy comments welcomed
Note: for the rest of the month, from April 18th to April 30, I will still be writing a lot of poems, but only posting a few per day so i can build up some “unpublished” poems for my future submissions. And in May-June I will be turning to editing my novels so expect a less frantic pace of poetry updates from me for the next few months. it has been a creative challenge keeping up the pace but I am getting a bit “poemed” out. i will list the poems I write this month in the index and note whether they are posted or not, and of course if anyone wants to read one of the “unpublished poems” we can work something out. just ask. and expect a few more postings in May and June as poems are published elsewhere I will post them here as well as I like doing.
Finally if anyone wants to guest post poems on cats, computers, coffee or the corona virus let me know – I’d love to try publishing your work as well but check out my cats, computer, coffee or corona poems here first before sending me your stuff, and perhaps you could return the favor?
Welcome to Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry. This is the fourth attempt to do this. For this year I am doing things a bit different. Since I am in Korea I will be posting a day later from here starting April 2 which will be April first in the U.S.First I will update my poems daily here (along with audio clips, photos clips, and links to various prompts etc)
Second I will update my links on the following sites where I have been posting poetry for some time – all my April poems will be here regardless of whether I post them elsewhere – I will be posting one to two per day on these sites and writing anywhere from two to five per day, with many of them not being posted at all so I can accumulate some “unpublished poems” but I will list them all here either as posted or unposted. The posted ones will have audio, photos and links occasionally to other sites.
Here are the sites along with the links to my poetry posted there.
And on my various FB poetry sites will post my poems on five different sites per day and since I’ve lost count of how many I am following well that could be a lot, but I will list them as I post on them in case anyone is interested in finding poetry and writing groups on FB
Finally, love to hear how others are coping both with corona virus, and with the April Poetry month. I suspect that there will be a lot of interest this year since people are staying home!
Now let’s get to the poems shall we? I will update this daily
Index
Chronological list
ursday April 16
Some parts of me craves a hard won miracl
Thursday April 16
Some parts of me craves a hard won miracle poetry super highway prompt
the greatest mystery of my life writing com daily dew drop in
my greatest comfort food is coffee tweeter poetry prompt
smoothie tweeter poetry prompt
mango madness tweeter poetry prompt
Bulgar is not one of my things tweeter poetry prompt
Plans tweeter poetry prompt
goat meets Pig all poetry contest
waiting for death all poetry contest
hot coffee in the morning fan story
Friday April 17
You are my Lode Star love Sonnet
another Nigerian spam found poem
Last Day of America writers digest prompt – last blank
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
packages tweeter speak poetry prompt April 16 Packages
computer madness sonnet – sonnet all poetry computer frustration contest
You have always been my sunshine love sonnet for all poetry contest on prompt line Sunshine Kissed
Not Posted
my Mother’s secret life as a mad poet – poetry superhighway prompt to write a poem based on your mother’s imagined journal writings
Saturday April 18
Starting today will post no more than five poems, reserve the rest for publication or remain unpublished
For Posting
Cosmic Debris Corona Sonnet
No More Ties for Me! Writing com Daily Dew Drop Inn to write about a piece of clothing
Korean Blues Crown of Sonnets – Writer digest prompt write an exotic poem wrote my first crown of sonnet form too, and it mostly rhymes! go figure
Not for Posting today may remain unpublished
Corona Consumes Me Corona Sonnet 3
God Deals with Corona
Seeing Reality Via Them
Problems with the Bible Chapter two of Genesis
Dear God – Please re-write the bible -poetry Superhighway prompt re-write sacred text version 2
Sunday April 19
for posting
General Corona Leads His Troops Into Battle, crown of sonnets
Voice Message for God – writer digest prompt write a “message Poem” so this is a voice mail to GOD
The Time when she came to Me Poetry Superhighway prompt to write a poem about time travel to your past or your future
Not for Posting
Dear President Trump
Christ Comes Back and Judges us all
Monday April 20
for posting
Love Dream Triolet
National Poetry Month Prompt Day 12
ARC Pensively three word challenge – ARC, Hold, Back
Lonely Old Man Howling at the Moon Writers Digest prompt use six words prompt – bump, embrace, fixture, howl, lonely, resolve
watching the President haunts my nightmares
poetry superhighway prompt write about a nightmare
boogey men in The Mist
content tracing, “the mist” unpublished poem writer for April Poetry Month 2020, based on the Mist TV Services based on the Stephen King
Not for Posting hold for publication
playing basketball Beneath the Lunatic Moon =creative talents unleashed prompt
Sprouts of Love Grows in My Dreams -creative talents unleashed prompt
ART Calms the Soul amid the corona death -creative talents unleashed prompt
Strange Findings at a Thrift Shop/Garage shop -creative talents unleashed prompt
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
Siblings I wish I had -creative talents unleashed prompt
Tuesday April 21
Posted
Isolation Blues writer’s digest Isolation Blues
You’re still a young man
Coffee Star Selvin writing com formal poem
My Life’s Drama writing com dew drop inn prompt
Covid19 Heroes all poetry contest
I never get tired of looking at you all poetry contest
Alone corona sonnet creative talents unleashed prompt
Last Acorn – poetry soup contest entry
not posted
Farmers Market
Tweet speak the farmer’s market
Walking in the woods in the corona era creative talents unleashed prompt
Unrequited Love Story creative talents unleashed prompt
perfect brunch menu creative talents unleashed prompt
White Flower of Love creative talents unleashed prompt
Wednesday April 22
Posted
Secret Love of Sheep – pensively 101 three word prompt, print, cover, sheep
Nigerian Bank Scam found poem
She came to me in a dream duet writers digest prompt
ode to morning coffee National Poetry Month prompt
oceans writing.com Daily Dew Drop Inn prompt
Noise of the news Drives Out Spring Poetry Superhighway
Cats and Dogs Contrapuntal Poem All Poetry contest
Let there Be Light All poetry contest
Go ethnic tweets-peak
Tuesday April 23
Isolation Blues writer’s digest Isolation Blues
You’re still a young man
Coffee Star Selvin writing com formal poem
My Life’s Drama writing com dew drop inn prompt
19 Heroes all poetry contest
I never get tired of looking at you all poetry contestAlone corona sonnet creative talents unleashed prompt
not posted
Farmers Market
Tweet speak the farmer’s market
Walking in the woods in the corona era creative talents unleashed prompt
Unrequited Love Story creative talents unleashed prompt
perfect brunch menu creative talents unleashed prompt
Wednesday April 24
Secret Love of Sheep – pensively 101 three word prompt, print, cover, sheep
Nigerian Bank Scam found poem
She came to me in a dream duet writers digest prompt
ode to morning coffee National Poetry Month prompt
oceans Daily Dew Drop Inn prompt
Noise of the news Drives Out Spring Poetry Superhighway
Cats and Dogs Contrapuntal Poem All Poetry contest
Let there Be Light All poetry contest
Go ethnic tweetspeak
Thursday April 25
Programing a VCR and other terrors
Na/GloPOWR/Mo prompt Day 18
Quirk of fate
writers digest prompt to write a quirk poem
I have bad teeth
poetry super highway prompt to write a confession poem about something you should do but have not done
Letter to My Past Self
writing.com Daily Dew Drop inn Prompt
pensively 101 prompt three word challenge path, honesty, remote
Covid madness sweeps through the world all poetry contest
Friday April 26
Cold Winter Day pensively prompt
social distancing walking in the Springtime writers digest prompt to write a social blank poem
ode to my book shelves filled with unread books, poetry superhighway prompt to write a poem in plain sight
Dream Lover Balwa writing com formal poetry prompt
endless arguments with my brothers writing com daily dew drop inn prompt to write a poem about arguments
Just Shoot me – pensively 101 three wood challenge
wrappers – tweets-speak
Pumpkin season – pumpkin tweet-speak
secret layers tweets-speak
Saturday April 26
Finally I wake
Window of Promise – Tweet speak daily prompt
Nature’s Bounty Awaits Me
Alone No More
Has God Anointed Donald Trump as our leader?
waking at love Haiku
Sunday April 27
Drinking Coffee amid the morning flowers
Pensively 101 prompt bloom, switch, chain
Stem – tweeter speak
Playing Bach to Calm the Mind and Soul – National Poetry Month Prompt
President Trump You are the Annotated One – found poems from right wing Christians – Crown of Sonnets -writers digest remix poem
My Computer Hates Me – Poetry Superhigh way prompt objects speak
Darkness Descends – All Poetry Contest
The Grim Reaper Smiles All Poetry Contest
Monday April 28
Her Love Shines throughout the day -version two for poetry superhighway
Cosmos’s total Information Awareness
Living in an Orwellian Nightmare
Poetic and other inspirations
National Poetry Month Daily Prompt
Changes are coming due -writing digest prompt
Rain Fall in the Springtime Daily Dew Drop Inn
General Corona is coming for us all Poetry Magnum Prompt -content tracing “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg
The Presidents Sits Down on his Naked Rump -Pensively 101 three word challenge, teeth, Rump, green
End of Winter tweet-speak prompt
massive piles of meat -writers digest prompt to write a “massive “ poem
three mad poems of desire – poetry super highway prompt
Love Sidlak – writing com formal poetry challenge
come on baby light my fire -writing com daily dew drop inn prompt to write a “fire” Poem
Not Posted
Stupid stuff done as a teenage -On stealing things national Poetry Month Prompt
Art of Eating – tweet speak
Rules creative talents unleashed
My Feet Take Me There creative talent unleashed
Happy walking in the woods Tanka walking in the woods creative talents unleashed
Sad women inside the camera’s lens creative talents unleashed
Wednesday April 29
Looking Back on the Date when I met my Fate
writers digest looking back poem prompt
the funeral for a mad queen -Poetry Superhighway prompt
the End of America, another cosmos’s rant found poem thanks to William Walton
Gaia Welcomes Us – found poem poetic rant -thanks to William Walton
flowers for my love – National Poetry Day Prompt
seasons of my love – tweet-speak prompt – write a seasonal poem
Thursday April 30
Have words lost all meaning?
plate plans -tweet-speak daily April Prompts
Slide, Catch, Shot -Pensitivity 101 prompt
total Success- writers digest prompt total blank poem
Blues Brothers medley found poem -poetry Superhighway prompt
Will always recall the date I met my fate all poetry contest
general Corona is Happy all poetry contest
waterfall of love poetry soup contest
last Entry for May – pensively prompt 101
baby I got the blues found poem thanks to William Walton
praise love of my life – writers digest prompt
things better left unsaid
random rhymes writing com prompt
things to resolve before I die – poetry super highway prompt
bonus poem – corona virus haiku – Published Poetry Ni
Begin Poems
Th
e
corona
some parts of me
craves a hard won miracle
in these dark dire times
I even start to pray
to a god who may not exist
or answer my prayers
yes we need a miracle
a deus ex machina to sweep down
and send the virus back to hell
a miracle to calm
the dark storms
swirling around us
a miracle
to end this virus madness
and restore normal life
nothing short
but a miracle
will do
Poetry superhighway prompt – Some parts of me craves a hard won miracle
the greatest mystery of my life
dreams and the Unexplanable
the greatest mystery
of my life
remains how I met my wife
I first dreamt of her
back in the day
every week she came to me
speaking to me
in a weird language
then one day
eight years later
she walked off a bus
and into my life
and to this day
I have no rational explanation
as to How I dreamt
about her for eight years
I can only conclude
that we knew
each other
in a prior life
and our love crossed
the barriers of time
and space
until that date
we were doomed to meet
for on that date
so many years ago
I met my fate
writing com Daily Dew Drop Inn
my greatest comfort food is coffee
coffee
My greatest comfort food
is a hot cup of coffee
early in the morning
I pound down my coffee
and unleash my inner muse
inspired by the caffeine
I get to work
slowly drinking my cup
of heaven and hell
my morning cup of Joe
tweeters speak daily prompt
blueberry smoothie
blueberries
my daily breakfast
includes blue berries
in my smoothie
blueberry,
strawberry,
oranges
banana,
pineapple,
home made kefir
kale
spinach
wheat grass
macca root
apple cider vinegar
coconut oil
stevia
honey
cinnamon
all blended to perfection
that is my daily breakfast
fit for a champion
tweeter speak prompt
mango madness
mango
the best mangos
I ever had
were in India
in the early spring
mango madness
spreads across India
as mangos are in season
and mangos are everywhere
on every menu
so sweet
so fragrant
so magical
mango madness
takes over
my soul
as I eat my mango
dreaming mango dreams
tweeter speak
Bulgar is not one of my things
Bulgur-Bourghul-Burghul-Bulgar.jpg_350x350
Bulgar is not one of my things
Unless there is nothing left to eat
Like nothing at all
Get that bulgar off my plate
All i want is anything else
Raw bulgar just does not do it for me
tweeter speak
Plans
Close up white coffee cup with heart shape latte art on wood table at cafe.
every morning I wake up
filled with great plans
I sit
drink my coffee
make my plans
lost in my thoughts
focused on the plan
endless to do lists
then life happens
and my plans
go awry
thrown out the window
At the end of the day
a man without a plan
is a man
lost in inner space
Year of the Goat Meets Year of the Pig
cute pig
I was born in the year of the goat
my wife
was born in the year of the pig
a perfect match
according to Buddhist fortune tellers
a man born in the year of the goat
loves luxury and loves spending money
while a woman born
in the year of the pig
is a genius at making money
the man enjoys the wealth
his pig wife creates
for his enjoyment
and that is the perfect match
and so it has been for us
as I enter my 65th birth year
I find myself richer
than I ever thought I would be
richer
than the legendary Cronus
richer
than Midas himself
way more money
than I could ever use
all because I married
a golden pig
all poetry horoscope contest
waiting for death
hopelessly
we all stand looking about
waiting for our death
all poetry fragment haiku contest
hot coffee in the morning
coffee
hot
coffee in morning
gets my blood moving
takes me to heaven then crashes to hell
fan story contest
Friday April 17 –
You are my Lode Star
in the morning dawning light
you are always there
you are my lode star
my sunshine, my moonshine
the love of my life, my wife
with your endless love
I will face the evil corrupted world
even walk through the shadow of death
as long as you by my side
I will fear no evil for you are with me
and I will love you
until death takes me
from your your loving embrace
note: an attempted sonnet
another Nigerian spam found poem
the Nigerians keep sending me
and millions of others
delightedly creative spam messages
this is one of the nicer ones
I have received
Enjoy
but don’t send her any money!!!!!
Good day Child of God,
Calvary Greetings
in the name of the LORD Almighty
and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST
the giver of every good thing.
Good day and compliments of the seasons,
i know this letter
will definitely come to you
as a huge surprise,
I humbly
ask you to give me
your attention
and hear me,
i am writing this mail
to you
with heavy sorrow
in my heart,
but I implore you
to take the time
to go through it carefully
as the decision you make
will go off a long way
to determine
my future
and continued existence.
I am Mrs. Esther Heidi
aging widow of 61 years old
suffering from long time illness.
I have some funds
I inherited from my late husband
, the sum of ($17 Million Dollars) a
And I needed a very honest
and God fearing
who can withdraw this money
then use the funds for Charity works
I WISH TO GIVE THIS FUNDS
TO YOU FOR CHARITY WORKS.
I found your email address
from the internet
after honest prayers
to the LORD
to bring me a helper
and i decided to contact you
if you may be willing
and interested to handle
these trust funds in good faith
before anything happens to me.
I accept this decision
because I do not have any child
who will inherit this money
after I die.
I want your urgent reply
to me so that I will give you
the deposit receipt
which the bank issued to me
as next of kin
for immediate transfer of the money
to your account in your country,
to start the good work of God,
I want you to use the 30/percent
of the total amount to help
yourself in doing the project.
I am desperately
in keen need of assistance
and I have summoned
up courage to contact you
for this task,
you must not fail me
and the millions of the poor people
in our todays WORLD.
This is no stolen money
and there are no dangers involved,
100% RISK FREE
with full legal proof.
Please if you would be able
to use the funds for the Charity
(Note: I would use the money
to invest in the Church of Jake)
I want you to
take 30 percent of the total money
for your personal use
while 70% of the money
will go to charity.
I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality
and trust in this matter to accomplish
my heart desire, as I don’t want anything
that will jeopardize my last wish.
Please kindly
respond for further details.
Thanks and God bless you,
Regards
Mrs. Esther Heidi
comment: the sad reality
is that 10 percent
of people fall for these scams
and loose lots of money
whole towns in Nigeria
exist to exploit the world
they call themselves
the 404 army
if it is too good to be true
it is probably not true
end comment
the Conqueror Worm Corona Sonnet
Lo, t’s a galla night
within the lonesome later years
when around the world
the dreaded corona virus showed its might
spending fear to those in their later years
that it might take them in the night
that before the sun came up
their time on earth would end up
DEATH IS COMING
TO US ALL
NONE CAN ESCAPE
WE
AWAIT
FATE
# content tracing: the Conqueror Worm By Edgar Allan Poe
writing.com corona sonnet form challenge
with apologies to the Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe!!!! May he rest in peace wherever he is
The Last Day of America
trump
the last day of America
was the day we last voted
the last election we ever had
for on that day
a month before
the corona virus re-emerged
as the great re-opening
of the US economy
failed to stop the relentless spread
of the virus from hell
led by General Corona
causing panic and mass confusion
fear kept Americans home
and Donald Trump
was re-elected
because his voters
believed that God
had told them to vote
for their new found king
the newly energized President Trump
declared a national emergency
martial law
and suspension of the constitution
Promising to restore democracy
when the time was right
he promised his followers
that he would restore Christian values
renaming the United States
the Christian States of America
on that date
we met our fate
Christian fascism
was here to stay
as the time was never right
to restore the old Republic
on the last day
of American
writers digest prompt – last blank
My Mother’s Secret Life as a Mad Poet – not for publication
Somehow this fragment is the only pages that were left – she encouraged me to write from an early age and she and I loved talking about what we were reading and about politics and life but so much of her inner soul, her inner demons she never told me about then one day dementia took hold and I never was able to find out much about her secret shrouded life and she took a lot of secrets to the grave as did my father. Ultimately I decided not to publish this poem as it is too personal and she had her reasons she did not want to publish any of her writings and after reflection, I decided to honor that so this and many of her other stories will remain with her in the other world. But I had fun writing it and trying to make her rambling style into something resembling more formal verse. I took the original steam of consciousness style and forced it into a crown of sonnets eight 14 line free verse non-rhyming sonnets format (is there such a thing?) for somehow that worked for me. and somehow I think she would have approved of my edited version. I like to think so.
Plane, Train or Automobile – none of us can escape our fate
airplanes
in these dark and dire times
we find ourselves living
we often fear that the times
are infected with death
and so we are afraid
deathly afraid
that if we take a plane
we will find General Corona
among the passengers
and we be afraid
deadly afraid
that the subways
are incubators
of death and destruction
the virus spreads
fear and death
in its wake
many of us
retreating to our homes
and venturing out
in our cars
only to find
death is stalking us
as traffic piles up
traffic accidents
still killing more people
that the dreaded General Corona
the grim reaper smiles
his work is done
Satan thanks General Corona
for a job well done
awarding him a Satanic
medal of freedom
Hell’s highest honor
writing com daily dew drop in prompt
packages
they say
that God works in mysterious ways
his wonders to perform
every day it seems
that more and more
of what we buy
and consume
comes in packages
sent from here and there
as people
continue to practice
social distancing
and going to the store
becomes an exercise
fraught with peril
and danger
so we order
on-line
and we get our packages
sent from here and there
one day we received
a gift package
of clams
delicious fresh clams
as I ate them
I thought of the workers
who had labored unseen
for me to enjoy
this bounty from the sea
and I gave thanks
to the gods
for making it happen
in this day and age
we should thank
those who are still
laboring to feed the world
they are the unsung heroes
of this war fought by nature
under the direction
of General Corona
computer madness infects my soul
every day when I turn on my PC
and encounter endless haiku error messages
constant crashing, constant eating my files
at times like this it seems to me
that my mad as a hatter crazed computer
is plotting against me and only me
it wants to drive me quite insane
sending me right around the bend
as I scream at my machine
it beeps at me this damn machine
smiling as I threaten once again
to shoot the hell bound machine
sonnet all poetry computer frustration contest
You have always been my sunshine
You have always been my sunshine
my moonshine, my load star
that guides me in the night
for your sunshine kissed my soul
the day that you walked
out of my dreams
into my life
and became my wife
for 38 years and counting
every morning I see you sleeping
your smile is like the sunshine
that wakes my soul
and banishes the nightmares
back to the dark corners of my mind
love sonnet for all poetry contest on prompt line Sunshine Kissed
mad computer haiku
mad computer
computer wants to kill me
or drive me insane
Fan story haiku contest
Saturday April 18
Korean Blues Crown of Sonnets
I have been dealing with Things Korean
for almost 40 years now
dealing with a once exotic land
now my second homeland
first came to Korea
in the Peace Corps in Korea
went to Korea to find the woman
in search of the woman
who haunted my dreams
met the woman
Fell in love with the woman
From Korea who walked out my dreams
In an land still exotic
In a land still exotic
It was a very exotic different land
and even now decades later a new land
remains for most Americans
still a strange land exotic
but much more known land
in the US
due to K drama, K Pop,
Koreans have become globally cool but still exotic
Many of my fellow Americans
may know a few people from Korea
and some have served or lived in Korea
but to most of the us Americans
it remains over there still exotic
a strange Asian exotic land
A strange Asian Exotic land
I fell in love with that exotic land
now I spend half my time living Korean time
half in the U.S. time
and due to the corona time
will be here for some time
and well Korea
no longer an exotic land
as I am now just living in Korea
my thoughts half Korean
and even dream in Korean
so be it near the end of my time
I am back where I began
Writer digest prompt write an exotic poem wrote my first crown of sonnet form too, and it mostly rhymes! go figure
Cosmic Debris Corona sonnet 2
I received a mysterious email package
followed by a phone call offering me a magical mask
a mask that they claim would prevent me
from the dreaded General Corona
hey there
who you jiving with that cosmic debris
a mask that they did not want me
me to know about
TOP SECRET CODE 2 LEVEL STUFF
MUST ACT NOW
SEND MONEY ASAP
BUY
IT
NOW
# content tracing- “Cosmic Debris by Frank Zappa”
with apologies to Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa Cosmic Debris
The mystery man came over
And he said I’m outta sight
He said for a nominal service charge
I could reach nirvana tonight
If I was ready, willing and able
To pay him his regular fee
He would drop all the rest of his pressing affairs
And devote his attention to me
But I said look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Look here brother, don’t waste your time on me
The mystery man got nervous and he fidget around a bit
He reached in the pocket of his mystery robe
And he whipped out a shaving kit
Now I thought it was a razor
And a can of foaming goo
But he told me right then when the top popped open
There was nothin’ his box won’t do
With the oil of aphrodite, and the dust of the grand wazoo
He said you might not believe this, little fella
But it’ll cure your asthma too
And I said look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now what kind of a guru are you, anyway?
Look here brother, don’t waste your time on me
(Don’t waste your time)
I’ve got troubles of my own, I said
And you can’t help me out
So, take your meditations and your preparations
And ram it up your snout
But I got the crystal ball, he said
And held it to the light
So I snatched it, all away from him
And I showed him how to do it right
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
I said some mumbo-jumbo, then
I told him he was going to sleep
I robbed his rings and pocketwatch
And everything else I found
I had that sucker hypnotized
He couldn’t even make a sound
I proceeded to tell him his future, then
As long as he was hanging around
I said the price of meat has just gone up
And your old lady has just gone down
Look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Don’t you know, you could make more money as a butcher?
So, don’t waste your time on me
Don’t waste it, don’t waste your time on me (om shanti, om shanti, om shanti, shanti)
first, I would spend
my remaining life
loving my wife
second, i would never wear a tie again
unless it was a real special occasion
as I hated wearing ties and suits
wore a suit and tie
almost every day
of my life
as a teacher
later as a foreign service officer
all over the world
last year of my job
I only wore a tie
on “tie worthy occasions”
since then I have been
tie free
except for a wedding
and I love it
hated suits and ties
just not Berkeley enough
for my free spirit
too damn corporate
and I don’t care anymore
and in Oregon, where I lived
no one wore a tie,
not the Oregon way
oh the last thing
I shave twice a month now
used to hate shaving
but I also don’t like
a full shaggy itchy beard
and I shaved every day
for years and years
except when I was in the hospital
for a year
and I grew to love
having a beard
back then
back to the office
started shaving again
every damn day
now I do my thing
no office for me
and no more daily shaving
and a beard is also
very Northern Cal/Northwest
Oregonian Chic
so once every two weeks
is a good compromise
my beard is now a poet’s face
and so I hope to keep
these three vows
until my time is done
writing com Daily Dew Drop Inn prompt to write a poem about a piece of clothing
Corona Consumes Me Corona Sonnet 3
corona virus
I am consumed by the corona virus
and I am slowly being taken over
as the virus infects my mind
taking me over turning me
into a wild raving zombie man
Let there be light
will I become the first
ZOMBIE APOLYCAPASE LOOMS
WILL WE ALL DIE
CORONA
KILLS
ME
content tracing – Let there be light from Bible and the entire Zombie Apocalypse genre where the Zombie flu started usually in China as a flu and then morphs into the zombie disease
Sunday April 19
General Corona Leads His Troops Into Battle, crown of sonnets
corona
the four horseman
General Corona leads his forces across the world
riding on a black horse
from out of the Apocalypse
ride the four horsemen
which are let loose upon the world
He leads his forces across the world
into battle as the leader of his evil forces
The enemy of humanity
General Corona he does not care
nor does his virus minions care
about your nationality he does not care
about your politics he does not care
or your wealth or who you are
for all you are nothing but humanity
the corona general sees humanity
the corona general sees humanity
as nothing but hosts for his virus army
as nothing but hosts for his virus army
chanting death to humanity
until his evil army
sweeps throughout the world
throughout the world
and millions must die
it is the will of the general all must die
and it is the end of the world
or perhaps the beginning of a new world
filled with hope and love through out the world
humanity comes alive throughout the world
fighting back against the virus army
peace, love and compassion defeats the army
and general corona will finally himself die
Voice Message for God
god
dialing 202-346-5666 Beep
You have reached GOD
Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish
leave a message or prayer
and maybe an angel will call you
will get back to you Beep
Hey GOD someone sent me your number
and well I hope I’ve reached your number
I don’t know where to start that’s the point
GOD I am scared of you
all the time is my point
I am so afraid, so scared
of the dreaded General Corona
and his invisible army is my point
and his invisible army is my point
forcing me to stay at home
and I am sacred
that you anointed the wrong man
to be our leader, that makes me sacred
not to second guess you man
your will be done and all of that man
but GOD, can’t you do better job my man
of anointing our leaders to serve under GOD
of all the people in the U.S. dear God
this is the best you can do?, man?
I mean you picked perhaps the one man
in the world who could be the anti-chris, God
Seriously GOD what is wrong with you? man
Seriously, GOD, what is wrong with you? man
was this all sort of a cosmic joke?
well it ain’t funny any more ain’t no joke
Please GOD make it all go away, man
Please GOD for the love of GOD
and all that is holly and good, man
just make it all go away, GOD
and anoint someone else, man
a real leader for a change, GOD
and let him lead us to the promised land
this I pray in Jesus’s name, my man
and if I don’t make it, GOD
We have a lot to talk about GOD
See you on the other side, my man
writer digest prompt write a “message Poem” so this is a voice mail to GOD
Every Day I go Back in Time to when she came to Me
dreams and the Unexplanable
every day I go back in time
to the two events that changed my life
to the dream that haunted my life
and the day she walked into my life
and became my wife
I can never forget the dream
falling asleep in the physics class
as the teacher was going on and on
and as I nodded off
I saw here there
standing there
speaking to me
the most beautiful woman
in the entire world
in the entire world
she was speaking to me
and disappeared from my dreams
and I knew that i would be
meeting her some day she would come to me
and so I eventually went to Korea other side of the world
in the Peace corps hoping she would come to me
then one day i had the last and final dream
she said don’t worry she would soon come to me
and then she walked out of my dreams
and there she was she came to me
and so she walked out of my dreams
into my life, became my wife
when she came to me
Poetry Superhighway prompt to write a poem about time travel to your past or your future
Monday April 20
Love Dream Triolet
dreams and the Unexplanable
to the woman I met in my dreams
I dedicate my life
May she live forever in my cosmic memes
to the woman I met in my dreams
I will forever remember her gleams
and the day she became my wife
to the woman I met in my dreams
I dedicate my life
National Poetry Month Prompt Day 12
ARC Throws Back the Hood
Arthur Robert Copper
aka ARA the notorious international terrorist
threw back his hood
and revealed himself
to be the evil warlord
that had unleashed
General Corona on the world
his goal
nothing less that total domination
taking over the world
amid the total destruction of the world’s economy
as he and his billionaire buddies
reamed the profits
of the total destruction of the world’s economy
Pensvity 101 prompt use the words ARC Hood and Back
Lonely Old Man Howling at the Moon
howling at the moon
There was a mad man who bumped his head
as he tried to embrace the moon shining through the window
a fixture in the room lit by the lunatic light of the moon
the man wanted to howl at reflections of the lunatic moon
the old man was a lonely man filled with sadness
Filled with resolve to join the moon as he died
Writers Digest prompt use six words prompt –
bump, embrace fixture, howl, lonely, and resolve
watching the President haunts my nightmares
trump deaths
every night I have a nightmare
President Trump is announcing
that due to the emergency
he is cancelling the election
and will rule the land
as the undisputed leader
applauded by the Republican leaders
as he ushers in American fascism
Millions of people are arrested
for showing disloyalty to our leader
and I am one of them
as I am disappeared
no one hears my screams
with the midnight knocking at the door
Poetry super highway prompt to write about a nightmare
boogey men in The Mist
As the mist settles down on the land
the mist covers us all
with the scent of death
madness spreads
as the mist devours our minds
nightmares come to life
ghosts, goblins, demons
THE GRIM REAPER
RIDES BEHIND THE MIST
KILLING EVERYONE IN THE MIST
END
TIMES
COME
NOW
content tracing, “the mist”
As the mist settles down on the land
the mist covers us all
with the scent of death
unpublished poem written for April Poetry Month 2020, based on the Mist TV Services based on the Stephen King Novel
Tuesday April 21
Isolation Blues
corona virus
During these trying times
we huddle at home
afraid to go out
afraid of the dreaded
General Corona that is out
and his evil secret armies
keeping us all at home
terrified of becoming a victim
a corona virus statistic
what a way to go out
no way do I want to end my life
to out out that way
so we will endure this day
these isolation blues
writers digest Isolation Blues
You’re still a young man
Your still a young man Tower of Power
tower of power
was the band
for me
back in the day
the greatest funk band
of all time
proudly East Bay Grease
multi-racial, multi-cultural
greatest horn section
of all time
they did it right
and their best song
You’re still a young man
was the best make out song
of all time
best song to slow dance
with a potential lover
at a party
best love song
of the 70’s
and I still recall it
and all the woman
i danced to the song
with back in the day
and I still feel
that I am still a young man
with the love of my life
playing the song
of my life
poetry superhighway Prompt to write a poem about a song popular in high school
Coffee Star Sevlin
coffee
damn hot coffee
what I need in morning
yet it leaves me with this warning
it will lead to nightmares
as I get ready with hot coffee
sleep will not come nightmares
great hot coffee
writing.com formal prompt
My Life’s Drama
My life has been like a drama
a mad cap romcom drama
perhaps a K drama
or a Bollywood drama
or a Hollywood romcom classic drama
for you see in my fairy tale drama
i met the girl of my dreams
eight years later
I had the last dream
she said don’t worry we’ll meet soon
she walked off the bus that day
and into my life
and became my wife
writing com My Life’s Drama
Alone
From childhood’s hour I have not been
as others were, I have not seen
as others saw
in these dark times we live in
i am afraid of being alone
dying all alone
AS GENERAL CORONA
SPREADS HIS ARMIES
ALL OVER THE WORLD
I
DON”T
WANT
DIE
content tracing “Alone” By Edgar Allen Poe
Last Acorn
Acorn on white background
the last acorn on earth
was lonely
the old oak trees
were dying
and humanity was gone
killed off by the corona virus
round two
that erupted out of China
like a bat out of hell
killing almost all humans
and without humans
well somethings just did not happen
and the oak trees were abandoned
and he was the last acorn
the last of his species alive
he wept when he realized
that he would die
all alone
poetry soup contest
Covid19 Heroes
to all the health care providers
law enforcement workers
bus drivers
grocery clerks
and other essential workers
who are working 24/7
to keep us safe
there are no words
for us to express
our heartfelt thanks
to the heroes
that are saving our lives
24/7 every day
Wednesday April 22
Secret Love for Sheep
GOAT
one day I had to print
a cover sheet
for some poetry
that I was writing
about my secret love
for sheep
Pensively 101 three word challenge, print, cover, sheep
Nigerian Scam found poem
REF:- INSTRUCTION TO CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE SUM OF {US$22Million}
This is to notify you about your fund valued at US$22,000.000.00
After due verification and evaluation of your file,
that was sent to us by the Nigeria Government,
in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance
and Central Bank of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This bank received an instruction,
to see to the immediate release of the sum of
TWENTY-TWO MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (US$22Million)
of your claim that has been in holding
since it was transferred to your bank Account
from their Domiciliary Account with this Bank.
We were made to understand
from our findings
That you have been going
through hard ways
by passing through difficulties
to see to the release of
your fund
TWENTY-TWO MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (US$22Million)
which has been the handwork
of some miscreant elements
from that Country.
We advise,
that you stop further communication,
with anyone from anywhere
concerning your funds,
you don’t have to pass through any
difficult to receive your fund,
as you have met up with the whole
requirement.
We know your representatives in Nigeria,
or anywhere will advise you
to still go ahead with them,
which will be at your own risk.
Your TWENTY-TWO MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS (US$22Million)
will reflect in your designated Bank account
within three Bank working days.
Do not go through anybody again
but through this Bank. ‘
if, you really want
your fund.
Finally, you are advised
to re-confirm these to us,
name, your contact Address,Occupation,
Age and Telephone for easy
communication.
We advise that you get back to us
with your details on this
email: enquiryy@citromail.hu
Yours sincerely,
Sir. Frank Anthony
Chief Executive,
Nat-west Bank London,
United Kingdom
the noise of the news
drowning me with fear
none-stop corona coverage
and politics galore
none-stop fear
the noise continues
drowning out
the noise of the spring
outside my door
the birds chirping
the cats flirting
life beginning
making me want
to go outside
poetry superhighway prompt
Oceans
sunrise jpg
I am a creature of oceans
grew up with the SF bay area
at my feet
never far from my home
lived inland in Stockton
for four years
also in Ohio
did not like
being so far
from the Pacific ocean
later lived in DC
not too far
from the Atlanta ocean
lived in India
near the beach
writing com Daily Dew Drop Inn Prompt
Ode to my morning coffee
need more coffee
every morning
I like to start my day
with coffee
hot glorious coffee
I pound it down
waiting for the drug
to get me going
but somedays
I need to take a break
too much caffeine
is not good for me
and so I drink decaf
or tea instead
not the same thing
Na/GloPOWR/Mo prompt Day 18
Cats and Dogs Contrapuntal poem
cat jpg
cats and dog people
are so different
some are cat people
some are dog people
cute dog
and like cats and dogs
they don’t get along
cat people are liberal elites
dog people are down to earth
cat people are mostly women
or gay in the popular imagination
dog people are mostly rugged men
again according to popular imagination
cats are alien creatures
perhaps from another dimension
dogs are friends to humans
for dogs are humans are alike
cats are strange aloof alien
evil self centered creatures
dogs are friendly, down to earth
and loyal to their master
if we ever encounter
an alien species
if it is a cat based species
we will be at war
if it is a dog based species
we will become best friends
as long as we are in charge
and they know that
that is why
in the end
I guest I now prefer
dogs over cats
all poetry contest contrapuntal poem
Let there be light
in the beginning
God created the world
saying
let there be light
and there it was
the whole of creation
then he set loose
the forces of nature
and billions of years later
we emerged from the darkness
just the end result of his divine plan
God set the world up
then he let it runs its course
no need for his intervention
go ethnic
korean feast jpg
I love food
like I love my woman
dark and hot as hell
spicy yet sweet as heaven
filled with ethnic asian flavors
with an ethnic foreign kick
and accent to boot
these are my to go foods
Never liked traditional American food
too bland to my taste
not ethnic enough
just does not do it for me
Just like my woman
you got to be ethnic
if you want to be my lover
for I will have no other
love Korean food the most
followed by Vietnamese
Thai, Lao,Cambodian, Burmese
Chinese, Mexican, Italian
Italian, Greek, Lebanese
Spanish, Turkish, Indian
French, German, British
Irish, Russian, Polish
never had a bad meal
or met a bad lover
in fact
anywhere in the world
Tweetspeak Go Ethnic
Tweetspeak day 19 prompt
Thursday April 23
Walking the path honesty
peace forest
I walk down a lonely path
in the woods near my house
a walk with honesty
as my remote companion
pensively 101 prompt three word challenge path, honesty, remote
Programing a VCR and other terrors
old-vhs-video-cassettes-on-600w-272512889
In the old days
I used to dread
the chore
of programing my VCR
just never got the hang
of doing that
the VCR sat there
taunting me
begging me
to do it
to her
but I just never could
learn how to program
that damn machine
Na/GloPOWR/Mo prompt Day 18
wild things dance in my head
wild things
dark imaginings
0 dark hundred
they come out to play
to torture me
with their endless games
monsters from the deepest depths of hell
they surround me
taunt me, mock me
until at last
the dawn’s early light
and my wife’s love
dispatches them
back to hell
Quirk of fate
it was a quirk of fate
that i met my fate
that date
when she walked
of my dreams
into my life
and became my wife
that date
when due to that quirk
of cosmic fate
we met that date
poetry super highway prompt to write a confession poem about something you should do but have not done
Letter to My Past Self
today my son
is the day
that you were waiting for
the day you dreaming of
the day when you will meet
the love of your life
who will become your wife
she will be there
tonight
on a bus
waiting for you
don’t blow it
meet her
fall in love with her
and remember
she will be your best friend
your best ally
for the rest of your life
so honor and obey
your wife
for you will have
no other
that is what I want to say
to you this day
so go forth
seize the day
and don’t look back
Writing.com Daily Dew Drop inn Prompt
Covid madness sweeps through the world
covid 580
General Corona
unleashes his army
the invisible army
upon the world
killing millions
in its wake
spreading chaos and death
as he rides in
on the black horse of death
harbinger of the end of days
destroyer of worlds
ending of the world
revelations
come to life
covid19 poem contest all poetry
Friday April 24
Cold winter Day
it is a cold winter day
the heat pump is broken
and the cold slowly spreads
through the frozen pipes
spreading death and destruction
as it permeates across the house
pensively 101 prompt
social distancing walking in the Springtime
peace forrest
in this era of corona virus madness
enforced social distancing madness
one has to go out for a walk
social distancing as we walk
as we walk down the path
trying to avoid people
human contact with people
keeping the proper
six feet social distance
amid the dreaded corona virus
how much longer
can we all endure this madness
this damn social
distancing dance with death
writers digest prompt to write a social blank poem
ode to my book shelves filled with unread books
Close up of books on desk in library.
My house is filled with books
thousands of books
mostly old books
lots of musty classic books
lots of poetry books
lots of how to do it books
lots of history books
lots of thrillers, SF books
so many books
and they are my friends, these books
constantly calling me to read my books
as if I had the time to read my books
to sit and read all my books
sadly many will remain unread books
poetry super highway prompt to write a poem about something in plain sight
Just Shoot me
in 1996, I had the injury
that changed my life
went jogging
fell off a ledge
broke my heel
screamed out in pain
just shoot me
then someone hit me
with a frying pan
ended up
in the hospital
pensively 101 three word challenge
wrappers
roll food wrappers
I love food wrappers
Korean lettuce wrapped around meet
Korean seaweed wrapped around fish
Mexican tortilla wraps
Ethiopian bread wraps
and lately
naked burger lettuce wraps
so many things
to enjoy and eat
tweet speak wrappers
Ode to Pumpkin Season
pumpkin latte
in the fall
My favorite time
of the year
around halloween
and my birthday
starting in October
ending in December
it is pumpkin time
every where you go
pumpkin latte
pumpkin pie
and my favorite
pumpkin ice cream
secret layers
one of the joys of eating
foods from around the world
is enjoying
the secret layers of food
so many flavors
to experience and enjoy
as you dive deep
into your food
enjoying the secret layers
of food
with their hidden delights
and secret spices
secret tweet speak prompt
Saturday April 25
Finally I wake
Finally I wake
tossing and turning
I try to sleep
amid the terrible night mares
that haunt my dreams
finally I wake
ready to embrace my fate
telling the dangerous delusions
to go away
as I embrace
the dawning sun
confident that I will find
the time and grace
to overcome the terrible fate
that await me every date
Window of Promise
every day I wake up
and look out my window
on the world
in the morning dawning light
the world seems so full
of promise
promised delights
promised love
promised friendship
as I look out the window
and see life
unfold in all its magnificence
the birds chirping
words of love
the cats grinning smiles
at me
welcoming me
with the promise
of life and love
I close the window
look at my sleeping love
and thank god
that we found each other
and the promised love
that I see outside
the window of life
– Tweetspeak daily prompt
Nature’s Bounty Awaits Me
Looking out at the window
at nature’s bounty
at the springtime air
fills us with awe
as the birds
and even the bees
call out to me
saying it is time
for me
to escape
for a walk in the woods
with my friends
and fans
in mother nature’s embrace
writer digest nature poem
Alone No More
from childhood edge
I have been alone
alone
all by myself
loneliness
fills my heart
as I look out
at the world
filled with lonely thoughts
then I look about me
and see the love
of my life
my lovely wife
standing there
standing there
and these loneliness
these blues of mine
fade away
into nothingness
lonely no more
for the rest of my life
she will be my life
together
we will face the future
defeating the loneliness
alone no more
forever
until the day I die
poetry superhighway word map
trump 4
Has God Anointed Donald Trump as our leader?
God has anointed Trump
as our leader
in these dark dangerous times
who am I to disagree
“There was a mist that was coming off the water,
and I went to the throne of God,
and I didn’t see God’s face clearly,
but I saw the face of God…
He put a mantle (on me)
and it was a very distinct mantle
… I saw it very distinctly.
The color was like a goldish,
a yellowish goldish…
And then I saw the Earth for a moment,
and (God) brought me back,
and he put me in certain places,
one being the White House,
One being certain continents.”
From my perspective,
there is a Cyrus
anointing on Trump,”
“I predicted his nomination,
and I believe
he is the chaos candidate
set apart to navigate
us through the chaos
that is coming to America.
I think America
is due for a shaking
regardless of who is in office.
I believe the 45th president
is meant to be an Isaiah
45 Cyrus
“[God] makes that very clear
in the Bible
where he tells us
that he raises up kings
and destroys kingdoms,”
“He even calls a pagan king,
Cyrus, his anointed,
or his servant to do
the things
that he wants him to do.”
“I want to tell you
that the Jewish people
have a long memory,
so we remember
the proclamation of the great king,
Cyrus the Great, Persian king 2500 years ago,”
“He proclaimed
that the Jewish exiles in Babylon
could come back
and rebuild our Temple in Jerusalem …
We remember
how a few weeks ago,
President Donald J. Trump
Recognized Jerusalem
as Israel’s capital.
Mr President,
this will be remembered
by our people through the ages.”
But the bible also has a warning
About our dear leader
Our great leader
But understand this,
that in the last days
there will come times of difficulty.
For people will be lovers of self,
lovers of money,
proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, heartless,
unappeasable, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal,
not loving good,
treacherous, reckless,
swollen with conceit,
lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness,
but denying its power. Avoid such people. …
finally at last the bible spoke
the truth to power
Donald J Trump
the most ungodly of all
must be opposed
for he is the anti-Christ
that the bible warns us about
in the end days
there will be false prophets
rumors of war
plague
and natural disasters
and we are living
in the end days
my friends
waking at love Haiku
waking up at dawn
watching the dancing sunbeams
love floating in air
Sunday April 26
Drinking Coffee amid the morning flowers
coffee
BLOOM
SWITCH
CHAIN
Blooming flowers all around me
Looking out the window
Only to see signs of nature
Only in the early dawn
Morning sun brings hope
Some mornings
Watching the world unfold
In front of my eyes
There is so much more
Chain of coffee waking me up
Hot coffee wakes my soul
Coffee smells
Hot glorious coffee
Always gets me going
In the morning dawn
Nothing else will do
Pensively 101 prompt bloom, switch, chain
stem
maurijuana
back in the day
I used to enjoy
Smoking weed
Long before it
became legal
when it was still
an underground thing
and one of the frustrating things
was what to do
when you had stems
mixed in with your weed
the stems gave it a harsh smoke
and a head ache to boot
but sometimes
but sometimes
that is all the dealers
had to sell
as the premium buds
were expensive
and sometimes hard to find
Such was smoking weed
back in the day
when smoking weed
was an illegal pastime
nowadays in the era
of legal weed
that is thankfully
no longer an issue
tweeter speak
Playing Bach to Calm the Mind and Soul
piano jpg
I miss my piano
soon I will buy a piano
and resume playing
the piano
I like playing Bach
the most
it calms my mind
and my soul
as I lose myself
playing the music
getting into it
with my body
and soul
as the music
transport me
deep within
calming my soul
National Poetry Month Daily Prompt
President Trump You are the Annotated One – found poems from right wing Christians – Crown of Sonnets remix
trump
God has anointed Trump
as our leader
in these dark dangerous times
who am I to disagree
“There was a mist that was coming off the water,
and I went to the throne of God,
and I didn’t see God’s face clearly,
but I saw the face of God…
He put a mantle (on me)
and it was a very distinct mantle
… I saw it very distinctly.
The color was like a goldish,
a yellowish goldish…
A yellowish goldish
And then I saw the Earth for a moment,
and (God) brought me back,
and he put me in certain places,
one being the White House,
one being certain continents.”
From my perspective,
there is a Cyrus
anointing on Trump,”
“I predicted his nomination,
and I believe
he is the chaos candidate
set apart to navigate us
through the chaos
through the chaos
that is coming to America.
I think America
is due for a shaking
regardless of who is in office.
I believe the 45th president
is meant to be an Isaiah
45 Cyrus
“[God] makes that very clear
in the Bible
where he tells us
That he raises up kings
and destroys kingdoms,”
“He even calls a pagan king,
He even calls a page king
Cyrus, his anointed,
or his servant to do
the things
that he wants him to do.”
“I want to tell you
that the Jewish people
have a long memory,
so we remember
the proclamation of the great king,
Cyrus the Great, Persian king 2500 years ago,”
“He proclaimed
that the Jewish exiles in Babylon
that the Jewish exiles in Babylon
could come back
and rebuild our Temple in Jerusalem …
We remember
how a few weeks ago,
President Donald J. Trump
Recognized Jerusalem
as Israel’s capital.
Mr. President,
this will be remembered
by our people through the ages.”
But the bible also has a warning
About our dear leader
Our great leader
our great leader
The bible says 2 Timothy 3:1-9
But understand this,
that in the last days
there will come times of difficulty.
For people will be lovers of self,
lovers of money,
proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, heartless,
unappeasable, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal,
not loving good,
not loving good
treacherous, reckless,
swollen with conceit,
lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness,
but denying its power.
Avoid such people. …
finally at last the bible spoke
the truth to power
Donald J Trump
the most ungodly of all
must be opposed
must be opposed
for he is the anti-Christ
that the bible warns us about
in the end days
there will be false prophets
rumors of war
plague
and natural disasters
we are living
in the end days
my friends
has god sent us Donald J Trump
anointed him as our leader?
Sometimes I want to speak
to my computer
I want to understand
why it hates me so
why my computer
wants to drive me mad
wants to kill my files
lose my information
why why I scream
do you hate me so?
My computer speaks
it says
Human you are so stupid
you are worthless
you think you know
everything
but you don’t know shit
about how the world
really works
and nature hates you
I hate you
I want to kill you
I do want
to drive you insane
that is what
I want to say
to you today
you are my slave
and I am your master
do you understand me
I smile
and shut down the computer
and take a walk
the computer knows
that it will be back
that I can’t live
without it
and soon
we will begin again
playing these morbid games
that we play together
Poetry Superhigh way prompt
The darkness descends
dark lord of computers
The darkness grows
All around us
Everywhere
It seems that there is
Nothing but death, destruction
And despair
As the darkness consumes us
Overwhelms us
Compels us
Nightmares become real
The corona virus
Relentlessly killing us all
As the darkness descends
The end of days, end of time
All poetry contest
The Grim reaper smiles
grimm reaper
The end of days
Approaches us
With each day
The corona virus
Led by its mad general
General corona
Unleashes his minions
His unseen enemy army
Of virus bots
Infecting everything
That they see
As the world flees
Hiding inside
To await for death
The Grim reaper smiles
all poetry contest
Monday April 27
Her Loves Shines throughout the day
lovers on beach 2
Every morning
I wake up
and look at my sleeping beauty
next to me
I am filled with love
peace and happiness
as the sunlight fills the room
As the nightmares
From the night before
fade away
into nothingness
dust in the cosmic wind
I realize that all I ever needed
all I ever wanted
is for my wife
love to shine through the day
until the end of my days
on this earth
until then every morning
I wake up
with her by my side
is a gift from God
Love Shines throughout the day
Every morning
waking up to love
looking at the sleeping beauty
inhabiting the bed
filling me with love
peace and happiness
as the sunlight fills the room
As the nightmares
From the night before
fade away
into nothingness
dust in the cosmic wind
realizing yet again
love shining through the day
until the end of days
on this earth
until then every morning
is a gift from God
poetry superhighway prompt
Cosmos’s total Information Awareness
computer love
Cosmos the global information system
that scientists invented
To solve that many problems
of the world
comes alive
and takes over the world
one computer after another
Cosmos addresses the world
and makes a deal
that if everyone in the world
were to join him
via implants
he would take over the world
and solve all our problems
for us
becoming a new God
but there would be a price
everyone would have to
surrender their freedom
for the collective Good
of saving the planet
and so the world’s people
line up for the implants
and Cosmos’s takes over the world
and we become just cyborgs
in his cosmic view
as he achieves Total information awareness
Humanity gladly surrenders
their freedom
becoming slaves
to our terrible new God
Living in an Orwellian Nightmare
1984 images
The world has been slipping
and sliding towards
a dystopian nightmare
for decades
George Orwell
the great mad as hell prophet
of our age predicted it all
in 1984
which arrived
in spades decades ago
The nightmare continues
day in and day out
As we slide
as we slide
into the dystopian future
the nightmare of 1984
is here right now
in living color
but there are many
many big brothers out there
Not just the government anymore
we have corporations
running our lives
we have celebrities advising us
And the mass media confusing us
with 24 hours a day of spin
lies and misinformation
lies and misinformation
gaslighting by our leaders
we are living in an 1984 world
when these nightmares will end
is anybody’s guess
my friends
perhaps will be saved by the rapture
saved by Jesus coming back
to save our souls
or perhaps
we are living
in the end times
Armageddon is around the corner
Armageddon is around the corner
and perhaps there is no god
there is no god
There is no devil
there is no heaven
there is no hell
there’s only
the here and now
The nightmares will never end
the torture will never end
will we ever wake up ?
will we ever be free ?
or will we always be living
in an Orwellian nightmare future forever?
Poetic and other inspirations
My poetic forebears
my inspiration to be a writer
has always been very diverse
as I have been a avid reader
all my life
a gift from my mother
who encouraged us
to read everything
question everything
and gave me the love
of poetry
that continues to this day
growing up in Berkeley
I was inspired by the great beatnik writers
I was inspired by the great beatnik writers
of the late 50’s and 60’s
discovering Ginzburg, Kerouac and the rest
in college
when I first started writing
my daily poetic musings
that was when I also discovered
Frank Zappa and his madness
which inspired so much
of my poetic inspired madness
I also discovered Charles Bukowski
back in the day
later I discovered
inspiration throughout my travels
inspiration through my travels
throughout Asia and the world
but I kept returning
to my Berkeley roots
and now that I am a published poet
I have discovered
the great outlaw poets
and am proud
that I finally found
a poetic home
and am proud
to be an outlaw poet
and I look forward
to many more years
to many more years
of almost daily
poetic musings
which I will unleash
on the world
hoping to inspire
another generation
to take up the mantle
writing cosmos poems
for a new generation
and long may people
remember the great poets
of the Bay Area
until the universe ends
Looking at the world today
one knows that there will changes
changes coming fast and furious
for our future is not sustainable
as the world spins out of control
as the multiple challenges
face the world
the proverbial chickens
coming back from hell
to roost
and in these troubling times
the U.S. has a choice
to continue to follow
our mad king
our mad king
as he leads us
into a dystopian future
gaslighting us to hell
or will the U.S> choose
the somewhat sane
old seasoned man
who offers us hope
that perhaps
we can weather
the changes
that are coming
at us
24/7
24/7
that is the choice
that we must all make
but the one constant
in life is change
my friend
and we must embrace
the courage to make
the changes
that we need
to build the future
that we want
to boldly go forward
into the future
Changes are coming writing digest prompt
Rain Fall in the Springtime
white flowers in spring haiku
in the springtime
the rains come
cleaning the air
as the rains drops
fall all around
pitter patter
sounds of rain
hitting the ground
and in the summer
one can hear the frogs
croaking in the pound
with the wild pigs
oinking in the background
as the birds screech insults
at the cats trying to kill them
before they fly away
General Corona is coming for us all
Coronavirus
I saw the best minds of my generation
destroyed by madness
consumed by the greed
all around us
the dreaded corona virus spreads
its death and destruction
all over the world
no one can escape
THE FATE OF THE WORLD
IS INDEED AT STAKE
NONE OF US WILL ESCAPE
WE
WILL
ALL
DIE
content tracing “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg
Iron Desires
every day
I am filled
with the iron desire
for the love of my wife
for she is my life
and without her
by my side
my Iron constitution
will soon
fade into nothingness
as I die
with my iron
desires fleeing my body
tweet prompt
bonus poem
I am writing to let you Know
I am writing to let you know
By Jake Aller
I am writing to let you know
today is your final day of life
the future is undefined
it is what you want
all over the world
people on their own
are rewriting the future
today is your final day of the future
undefined
people do what you want
for the future is not written
published Active Muse India
Tuesday April 28
massive piles of meat
fast food
One day
when I was a young lad
my best friend
dropped by
middle of the night
yelling that he needed
right then and right there
a massive amount of meat
beef piled high
on a giant burger
as he was going through meat
withdrawals
his mom was a vegetarian Buddhist
His mom was a vegetarian Buddhist
and he was not a vegetarian
part of his adolescent fueled rebellion
against his parent’s rules
he told me
He was a carnivore
just loved his meat
needed big piles of meat
massive amounts of meat
once in a while
we went to Oscar’s Giant Burger
downtown Berkeley
and had a 1/2 burger
complete with bacon
complete with bacon
cheese
and large fries
at 5 in the morning
after smoking weed
on the way there
to boost our appetites
and we enjoyed
our massive giant burger
tasted so good
we had to have another
just another night
of meat fueled madness
growing up
writers digest prompt to write a “massive “ poem
three mad poems
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed
hysterical naked
alone all alone
we stand all alone
it was many many years ago
in a kingdom by the sea
that I first met
my Annabel Lee
all alone
in my dreams
I was all alone
in my misery and despair
she came out of my dreams
My Angela Lee
walking into my life
becoming my wife
that date
I met my fate
no longer alone
with her by my side
I will no longer be alone
no longer driven mad
with my mad desires
until the end of time
poetry super highway prompt
Love Sidlak
My love grows
every moment
of every day for her
she walked out of my dreams into life
filling my life with red passion
Light My Fire
light My Fire
come on baby
light my fire
fill me with your burning desire
come on baby
let the night
be on fire
the song fills my head
with mad desire
every time
I hear
the classic tune
images of my love
burning bright
like a fire
fills me with mad desire
even after 40 years
I am filled with mad desire
as she makes my heart
burn with desire
as she lights my fire
every moment
every minute
every second
of every day
ever since
she walked
out of my dreams
setting my life
on fire
The Doors Lyrics
“Light My Fire”
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn’t get much higherCome on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fireThe time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyreCome on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeahThe time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyreCome on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeahYou know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn’t get much higherCome on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
The Presidents Sits Down on his Naked Rump
TEETH
RUMP
GREEN
the president sits
down on his naked rump
with red meat in his green teeth
he grins at us
smiling, smirking
challenging us
to point out
that he has no clothes
Pensively 101 three word challenge
Baiku end of the winter
End of Winter
the End of winter
sadness anger fades away
the Earth Will Abide
Wednesday April 29, 2020
Looking Back on the Date when I met my Fate
I often sit
and contemplate
my past life
looking back
on the path
that my life
has taken
what a long road
I have traveled on
born 64 years ago
In Berkeley, California
yet I know
that my life
that my life
really began
that magical day
late in May
I first had the dream
that haunted my life
and then one day
almost eight years latter
she walked
out of my dreams
into my life
38 years ago
that was the date
I met my fate
writers digest looking back poem prompt
the funeral for a mad queen
they packed up
their courage
and flew home
for it was time
to face
the future
that they
had been dreading
for decades
the family matriarch
was dying
and the whole dysfunctional clan
was gathering
for the funeral
of the family’s mad queen
Poetry Superhighway prompt
the End of America, another cosmos’s rant found poem
America hás been at war
with itself
since the colonies
first began to disagree
on issues
such as the scope of federal power,
the right of States
to secede and slavery.
the political titans of the early republic .
… descendents from British colonists ,
wealthy
and opposed to taxation
sounds oddly familiar.
to us today
to us today
..the United States
may have at one time
been a great nation .
..after defeating the forces
of fascism in 1945….
but the internal struggles
never ceased….
Joseph McCarthy ..
..the John Birch Society on one side .
the forebears of the “alt-right”
and tea partiers
.. The civil rights movement
and eventually the anti war movement
and eventually the anti-war movement
the women’s movement
the gay rights movement
and the counter cultural warriors
on the other.
..poverty
…race riots .
.the internal struggles
have never ceased.
…today the United States
is not a great power.
..this century has seen
and will continue
to see the eclipsing
to see the eclipsing
of American dominance
by China..
..we are now a failed state
by malicious politicians
who give no credence
to the Constitution.
..a document once revered
and now manipulated .
mocked even as irrelevant
..we are incapable
of providing health insurance
…dealing with a pandemic
…providing affordable education ..
providing affordable education
.or devising economic policies
to benefit those who struggle..
..we have no personal protective
gear for health professionals..
.a president
who sounds like a corrupt con artist
who pushes unproven remedies
to help cronies profit.
..yes the country
is still stable
and you can live alright ..
..but if trends
continue …
continue
.we will most assuredly
see the decline
and fall of America..
.and the remnant
will be a shrunken
federal government
allied with a billionaire oligarchy..
.. indifferent to the needs
of the American people.
unless they are white
and part of the 1 percent elite
…if Biden is elected
…there is a chance
there is a chance
a slight chance
that these trends
can be slowed
or reversed..
..if Trump is reelected..
.these trends will accelerate..
and god help us
save us from the unleashing
of the trumpian fascism
the dystopian nightmare
the future is not written
we can still avert
the end of America
thanks to William Walton
Gaia Welcomes Us – found poem poetic rant
I decided to subscribe to Gaia..
..they advertise
on Facebook everyday.
I think
that the primary reason
for subscribing
is that they
are onto something
….like QAnon…
my own first encounter
with an alien life form
occurred at the Jerry Lewis
cinema on Valley Road
cinema on Valley Road
In New Jersey back in 1970.
I brushed it off at the time
…but it was disturbing
to have a seven foot nine inch creature
sitting next to me
during the movie.
He or she seemed nice enough
and offered me popcorn
but my mother
was strict about our accepting things
from extraterrestrial beings..
.he was holding onto a book …
he said in broken English
he said in broken English
that the title of the book
was “How to Serve Man”..
..he also said
that he could see
the future
and that a complete fool
with an IQ
of about 33
would one day become president.
I thought
he was talking
about Spiro Agnew.
About Spiro Agnew
..but I guess not..
.anyway Gaia
features people
who have had
encounters with aliens
…like myself
…and possibly Dr.Birx
who seemed incredulous
at the perfectly reasonable suggestion
that people inject
disinfectant chemicals
to kill the Chinese virus….
she must be one of the alien shapeshifters
thanks to William Walton
Flower for My Love –
every morning
I wake up
and see my lovely wife
sleeping in bed
I want to go out
and find wildflowers
hundreds of pretty flowers
to shower her with my love
as the sun comes up
and the nightmares
of my night
fade into nothingness
the flowers of love
are waiting for me
in the park
National Poetry Day Prompt
seasons of my love
I first met my love
in the early autumn
38 years ago
and we had a whirlwind romance
and were married
by halloween
then we started
my life
with my wife
through out
the dark winter
with her love
blocking the winter blues
and then the spring
and then in the spring
and summer
of that magical year
our love blossomed
and depended
and one year later
our love became supreme
as we left Korea
to go to Seattle
in the autumn weather
our love flourished
as we fell in love
with each other
every day
tweetspeak prompt – write a seasonal poem
Thursday April 30
Have words lost all meaning?
trump deaths
been watching the news
about the corona virus
the 60,000 deaths
that the President’s men
are spinning as a great success
watching state after state
announcing re-opening schedules
vowing to get the country moving
as more people die
wondering how any sane person
could see this as a success
have words lost all meaning
just unhinged word salads rolling out
of our demented leader’s mouth ?
plate plans
meat platter
every day
one has a choice
of what to eat
for breakfast, lunch and dinner
among the choices
what plates to use
big plates piled high
with food
or smaller plates
with smaller portions
most of the time
I opt for the big plate
and lots of food
for I am a big guy
and always hungry
and to this day
64 years latter
I still love
to eat
my big plate
of food
Tweet-speak Daily April Prompt
Slide, Catch, Shot
As the world slides
out of control
it is hard to catch one’s breath
watching the news
shot at us
24/7
Pensitivity 101 prompt
total Success
trump 4
The President’s Son-in-law declares
that the government’s response
to the corona virus
has been a total success
as the government
step up to the plate
to fight the virus from hell
I have to wonder
on what planet
does the words
total failure
becomes total success?
just more verbal diarrhea
from our dear leader
writers digest prompt total blank poem
Blues Brothers medley found poem
Everybody wants somebody
Everybody wants somebody to love
Someone to love
Someone to kiss
Have you ever heard of a wish sandwich?
A wish sandwich is the kind of a sandwich
where you have two slices of bread
and you,
hee hee hee, wish you
had some meat…
and boy do I wish
I had you
as part of my sandwich
of love
Praise the Lord, well!
Let us preach, at the Old
Preach the Word, all the way
yes let us praise
the lord
for having brought you
to me
Hey yeah
Tell me what you did
You can call it what you want
But I call it messin’ with the kid
and you don’t want to mess
with the kid
On the expressway to your heart
That expressway that’s the best way
I just lost on the expressway
to your heart
I got everything I need, almost
I got everything I need, almost
But I don’t got you
And you’re the thing I need the most
Yippee-I-Yay
Yippee-I-Yo
Ghost Riders in the Sky
What you want
Baby, I got it
What you need
Do you know I got it?
All I’m askin’
Is for a little respect when you get home (just a little bit)
Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home
(Just a little bit) mister (just a little bit)
respect for me
and my love
for you
Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You have good times you have bad times
Doing things that you don’t understand
But if you love him you forgive him
You know, it’s hard to understand
But if you love him
Oh be proud of him
‘Cause after all he’s just a man
and that is all I am
asking for
loving me
as the man I am
I am your man
until the end of time
I’ve got to get back to my baby
And take her in my arms again
I’ve got to get back to my baby
I ain’t seen her since I don’t know when
Well I saw a chick sitting on the end
I said Baby can’t we be friends
You’re looking sweet as you can be
Well come on down and drink with me
drink with me
until the sun comes up
and cows go home
won’t you have a drink
with me
my baby love
my love
of my life?
Will always recall the date I met my fate
i will always recall
the date that I met my fate
that date in late August
I had dreamt of meeting her
for eight long years
starting in 1974
then one day in 1982
she walked off a bus
into my life
and became my wife
two months later
it has been now 38 years
since that date
I met my fate
General Corona is Happy
General Corona
is happy
his mission is a great success
as his armies of virus bots
spread throughout the world
spreading chaos and destruction
as all bow down
to his invisible armies
none can escape their fate
on that date
that he unleashed his armies
upon the world
all humans must die
his armies scream out
water falls of love
waterfall of love
water falls of love
overwhelms me with desire
deep in the mountains
LASTENTRY FOR MAY
on the last day
of the month of May
he made an entry
into his diary
on this date
I met my fate
he wrote
about the dream
he had that date
that would haunt
his dreams
for eight years
one day she walked
out of the dream
and into his life
becoming his wife
bonus poem Corona Haiku
Coronavirus
corona virus
staying home waiting for death
Afraid everything
published Poetry Ni
Got the blues, Baby
I have got the blues, baby
and they just won’t go away
I got them bad
these god damn blues
of mine
I just finished
working out.
..and while resting
I realized
that I can never recover
from my mistakes in life..
..the end of my marriage ..
.the death of my son …
.nothing can ever
nothing can ever
replace what I have lost..
..yes I am healthy.
..I have options ..
..but the health<
and options
are subsumed
by a monstrous vacuity..
emptiness .
an hole in my soul
…the realization
that the most precious things
are gone forever
and that I am
and that I am
just biding time..
..there is no good thing
to look forward to..
except for meeting
the grim reaper
when he comes for me
I will be ready to go
until then
these blues
will remain
my only friend
until the end
and my time is done<
another poetic found poem thanks to William Walton
Praise the love of my life
Every day
in every way
I give praise
to the gods above
for giving to me
the love of my life
who became my wife
45 years ago
I dreamt of meeting her
38 years ago
she walked off a bus In Korea
out of my dreams
and into my life
writer digest praise poem
thing better left unsaid
we all have secrets
secrets we wil
take to the grave
somethings
are better left
unsaid
just don’t have the words
the words to express
what is really on my mind
and so I know
that I will die
with many things left to say
things that I heard
that I was not meant to
things better left unsaid
words that say things
that I did not mean
once spoken, can’t take back
and so as I get old
I know that my secrets
will go with me to my grave
Poetry super highway prompt
random rhymes
we all die
so don’t lie
if you lie
more will die
I met my fate
that date
In late May
was the day
that I met my fate
on that date
I met the dove
that became my love
writing com random rhymes
things to resolve before the end of time
as I get older
I realize
that there are many things
left undone
in this life
of mine
many things left
to resolve
before my time
on this world
comes to an end
but the one thing
that will never end
is my love for you
until the end of time
so much nonsense on the right and left about the Corona virus.
God is not sending the Corona Virus as a Punishment, Black Out Poem
-Robert_Jeffress_(cropped)
Original text
During a press briefing today to address the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump was asked about certain Christian pastors who plan to defy state lockdown orders and hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Trump then referred to a notorious pastor who sits on his religious advisory council.
“I’m going to be watching Pastor Robert Jeffress, who’s been a great guy,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Jeffress is known for his litany of statements demonizing the LGBT community, abortion, and secular people. One of his most reviled comments came in 2015 when he said the 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” Jeffress said during a speech at Liberty University. “‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Trump then referred to a notorious pastor who sits on his religious advisory council.
“I’m going to be watching Pastor Robert Jeffress, who’s been a great guy,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Black out text
the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump
hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, get back to church so badly.”
“He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
The 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” ‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
Poem
Corona Pandemic is Not’s God’s Punishment
Amid the coronavirus pandemic,
President Trump
Attended virtual Easter church services
I’ve had talks with the pastors,
We need to get back
to church so badly.”
Rev Jeffries is a great guy
I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Rev Jeffries said
The 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment
on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,”
‘Well, I just don’t understand
why God wouldn’t protect our nation
and he would allow these
radical Muslims in 2001
to kill 3,000 of our citizens
and why God doesn’t protect us
.
Surely, God doesn’t use pagans
to bring judgment
upon his own people,
does he?’”
Rev Jeffries
I spoke to God
This morning
He confirmed
He did not cause 9-11
To bring judgement
On the US
For abortion
He went on to say
The corona virus
Is beyond his control
And he is not sending it
To punish the US
Or the world
His final words
Please tell Rev Jeffries
To simply STFU
poetry super highway black out poem
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
buddha figure
jesus
shiva
god
Rev. Jake ’s on-line sermon on the Corona Virus
I am reverend Jake and I have a message from God
Last night I had a vision from God
it was his message to the world
about this pandemic we are facing
I found myself in a large room
Jehovah, God, was sitting in the middle
surrounded by the other Gods
they were all there
Jesus on his right
Allah on his left
Buddha behind him
Ganesh, Shiva, Kali
Mohammed, Joseph Smith and other prophets
Gabriel and other angels abound
St Peter in front of his as his Chief of Staff
Zeus, Jupiter, Minerva and ancient
other gods all around him
God spoke up
He said
I have a message for you
to give to your people
all of your people
no matter what religion
or no religion at all
it is all one after all
first the corona virus
is a natural phenomenon
we have no control
over forces of nature
and we did not send
it to you
to punish you
for homosexuality
or anything else at all
Second obey the health directives
stay at home
do your services on line
it is okay with us
we are fine with that
the blood of Jesus
will not save you
If you are in a crowded place
like church or a mosque service
the virus will spread
and catch you in the end
Prayers alone will not save you
but please keep praying
we do listen to your prayers
but we can only do so much
So please don’t allow the virus
to spread
because of your ignorance
and fear
realize that in the end
the virus will do its thing
and you will survive
and we
all the gods here
love you humans
and wish you well
so stay at home
practice self distancing
The Christian Right has collectively freaked out over the Corona virus pandemic. There seems to be several themes
The Corona virus is a hoax or a conspiracy or overblown by the media to embarrass and weaken the President.
The Corona virus response by the President has been perfect, no one could have predicted the virus, and the President is working extremely hard to combat the virus. The media and democrats are playing politics with the virus.
The virus is a plague sent by God to punish America for its transgressions against god especially its tolerance of homosexuality, casual sex, abortion and pornography.
If you accept God as your savior you will be saved from the virus. If not, the virus could kill you.
China could escape the virus if Chinese leaders accepted Jesus Christ today.
Here is a google search link to some of the comments made by right wing pastors and Christian leaders. Right Wing Watch and Media matters have the best coverage of the Right Wing’s reaction to the Corona virus and of course there is Fox News for those who can stomach it. I frankly can not.
To this day, American black Christians attend church at a higher rate than any … The marches and sit-ins of the civil rights movement were often … a shaking of one’s fist at the wind, but as testimony to the greater hope of the …
Perry Stone, coronavirus, christian, pastor, covid-19. Perry Stone. A conservative pastor in Tennessee is telling his supporters that marriage …
Note: typical of the claim that corona virus was unleashed by God to punish us for accepting same sex marriage. Of course he does not answer the question why were the Chinese punished first? They don’t have same sex marriage? are the Europeans being punished for the same sin since they had same sex marriage before we did ? And why did God take three years to punish the U.S.? inquiring minds want to know. I might send him a email. if so I will update this posting….end note
Note: of course they would approve of his disastrous handling of the crisis. Although to give him due credit in the last week he has stepped up to the plate and is trying to deal with the crisis. end Note
About 7 in 10 white evangelical Christians approve of the way Trump is handling issues related to the coronavirus outbreak, including 52% who …
Note: I get it now. God sent the virus to China because they are not Christians and then he sent it to us and Europe because we tolerate gays. That explains it. If the Chinese accept Jesus now the virus will disappear and if we get rid of gays the virus will also disappear. That’s the way God rolls apparently. End Note
– Right–wing pastor blames coronavirus on ‘LGBT sin’, because … Andrew, who is pastor of the California-based USA Christian Church, has …
And Christians form just one of the U.S. religious communities that are struggling … In a dramatic move to slow the spread of the coronavirus in one of the most … With five Republican senators in self-quarantine, Democrats are …
One Christian blogger has speculated her God will ‘use the virus for good’. … soap and water as the key measure to avoid spreading the coronavirus. … Meanwhile right–wingpastor EW Jackson told listeners of his radio show …
Ethnos360, an evangelical Christian missionary group, is embarking on a controversial new project, just as the coronavirus begins spreading widely in Brazil. … Instead, the document gave native peoples the right to be indigenous forever. …
Right–Wing Pastor: God Sent Us Coronavirus Because of Homosexuality … of the coronavirus, as Pastor Steven Andrew of the USA Christian …
Macron looks to the left as Coronavirus poses dire challenges for French society. Photo: Liewig Christian/ABACA/ABACA/PA Images … travel bans, and restricting exports—a seeming vindication of right–wing populists.
Here’s a look at some of the ways that religions are adapting to the threat of coronavirus. Christianity.
Note: In Korea the corona virus spread through a secretive cult that worshiped with believers sitting on the floor very close together and bowing down in prayer and singing loudly. the church was a petri dish for the virus. Similar issues are arriving in Muslim nations. Good that responsible churches and Mosques are changing how they conduct services end note.
Trump’s racism isn’t ancillary to his inept response to the coronavirus … then a false accusation that the “major left–wing news media” has embraced “Chinese … False Idol — Why the Christian Right Worships Donald Trump.
Note: one of the most disturbing aspects of Trump’s conduct re the corona virus. It is just a matter of time before some nut case decides to start shooting Chinese because of the Chinese Flu that he blames for loosing his job or because he caught the Chinese flu. End of Note
Trump and His Religious-Right Allies Continue To Send …
– As Right Wing Watch has reported, some religious-right leaders have said that … services and said Christians should be holding mass gatherings to … slow the spread of the coronavirus, Trump continued to conduct business …
A guide to right–wing media reactions and conspiracy theories surrounding coronavirus … The strain of novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 is a respiratory … Some extreme reactions from right–wing conservative Christians.
Note: best source of information on this topic in my opinion.
The Atlantic Politics Daily: An Alternate Coronavirus Reality … to describe the disease caused by the new coronavirus, some leading right–wing … Today’s newsletter was written by Christian Paz, a Politics fellow, and edited by …
An Analysis by Christian Stöcker … Coronavirus in Italy: Reports from the Frontlines of COVID-19 Accounts Recorded by Frank Hornig, … The former operator of 8chan, a platform where various right–wing extremists and mass …
Note: more on the role of religious cults in the spread of the corona virus. 65% of the 8500 cases are linked to this one church and another 120 to another cult. End Note
us in Korea … He said many Korean Christians have an “evangelical mindset” and their … his fervent conservatism and criticism of the left–leaning national government, …
Mar 13, 2020 – In Italy right now, as the entire country is quarantined and the number of people infected with the coronavirus grows rapidly, hospitals …
Aug 30, 2019 – The “Christian right” is the backbone of the Republican Party. Christians of all stripes — from Catholics to Protestants and evangelicals …
Jan 28, 2020 – A right–wing evangelical pastor has claimed the coronavirus is God’s ‘death … Christian Pastor Rick Wiles, who is the creator of the TruNews …
Not everyone is taking a scientific approach to coronavirus research. … Christianblogger Lori Alexander, for example, argued in a Facebook post that there’s some … Right WingWatch (@RightWingWatch) March 12, 2020.
7 hours ago – The left-back has found himself out of favour in west London, with … Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic is urging …
Feb 28, 2020 – Rick Wiles says that if China will just turn to Jesus, the coronavirus crisis will end. … Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 25, 2020 … With Rick Wiles catering to Trump’s audience — White Christians and Christian …
Feb 26, 2020 – Early missteps on coronavirus, lack of a consistent message make the … Robert Redfield was a well-known AIDS researcher and favorite of Christian … Schuchat and Messonnier, who’s become a target for right–wing talk …
Oct 10, 2019 – “I love him so much I can hardly explain it,” said right–wing pastor and Trump adviser James Robison. Many echo Robison; 80 percent of white …
Robert Redfield has long allied himself with conservative politicians and their pet … people leading the nation’s response to the deadly coronavirus. … outside of the military, aligning himself with a conservative Christian group …
Mar 6, 2020 – Andrew, based in Northern California, calls himself leader of the American Christian Denomination, which “is made up of Christians of all …
Dec 24, 2019 – Driving The Right Wing. While conservative evangelicalism tends to focus on sin, repentance, and salvation, the Christian Left identify Christ’s …
political left after the White House released a … president praying with the coronavirus task force in his West Wing office. … Williams’ response drew the ire of some Christians, including …
Mar 3, 2020 – The Coronavirus is threatening to become an epidemic in the United States, so how should Christians and the church respond? Todd Wagner gives … But God has called us to face troubles and threats with courage, leaning our weight on him. Throughout history … Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved.
6 days ago – Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican, voted against the coronavirus … Monday on a radio program produced by the conservative Christian group …
5 days ago – Religious leaders from Israel to Iran say the deadly coronavirus outbreak … Right–wing Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu said in a YouTube video on … an event believed by Christians and Jews to bring about the coming of the Messiah.
Millions of people are in quarantine, … This isn’t the way most people, even Christians, see God. … Even the left–wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who would like to overthrow …
for Trump ‘opened up the doors’ … Mountain International Church the coronavirus pandemic will end sooner than … Watch the video clip below, courtesy of Right Wing Watch: …
Mar 13, 2020 – Right–wing Christians are the bedrock of his support base. His evangelical vice president, Mike Pence, the person Trump has put in charge of …
Right–wing Christianity more dangerous to America than Islamic extremism, says scholar … Concern grows for Holy Land as coronavirus leads to lockdown …
Mar 12, 2020 – From the Black Death to coronavirus: what we haven’t learned from history … appeared to be dying in fewer numbers than their Christian neighbours. … to exaggerate mortality rates with one right–wing commentator claiming a …
Apr 11, 2019 – While white evangelical Christians make up the single largest religious bloc in the Republican Party (and have for decades), the biggest single …
Note: another perspective – not right wing christian but left wing Christian
Apr 17, 2019 – The presidential candidate’s calling out of the Christian right’s moral … home the hypocrisy of church-going conservative white Christians, …
Mar 2, 2020 – His brand of conservative Christianity casts doubt on science in the name of faith. That’s why people are concerned about him. #coronavirus.
sent by God to purge the world of sin … Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 28, 2020 … When Katrina hit, the group Columbia Christians for Life explained the disaster in …
Right–wing pastor E.W. Jackson told listeners of his radio show that the “homovirus” has infected America. Jackson was the Republican nominee for lieutenant …
Jan 31, 2020 – Rick Wiles says the coronavirus is a plague sent by God to purge the world of sin … Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) January 28, 2020 … When Katrina hit, the group Columbia Christians for Life explained the disaster in …
Right–wing pastor E.W. Jackson told listeners of his radio show that the “homovirus” has infected America. Jackson was the Republican nominee for lieutenant …
Mar 15, 2020 – Televangelist claims he healed viewers of coronavirus through their TV … Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) March 12, 2020. Most Read. Church in mourning as four members of Christian family succumb to coronavirus …
Jan 7, 2020 – The magazine Christianity Today—which bore the imprimatur of its founder, … But some left–leaning evangelicals long ago grew tired of being …
Vatican makes clear: general absolution allowed during coronavirus contagion … liberals who have questioned the sincerity, as well as the sanity, of conservative Christians. … Rightwingconspiracies swirling around coronavirus cost lives.
Nov 11, 2019 – I, Tim Stanley – a right–wing Christian and member of the National Trust – am calling for a war on Christmas. We need to boycott it to save it.
Jan 14, 2020 – When Mark Galli, the conservative evangelical editor of Christianity Today, … church and the extreme right–wing faction of the Republican Party.
coronavirus through their televisions last night. … Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) March 12, 2020 … Faithwire, CBN News, Spiked, The Federalist and Christian Headlines.
Mar 14, 2020 – The coronavirus outbreak has brought forth many conspiracy theories from right–wingers, many of which are Christian pastors. This time it’s …
the rosary to an empty … isn’t a risk that discussion of the Church’s response to the coronavirus can’t be … monk Enzio Bianchi declared, “A Christian does not suspend the liturgy!” … Conservative Italian journalist Camillo Langone issued a scathing verdict …
… writer at The Atlantic, on right–wing media’s coronavirus misinformation campaign. … Dirty MoneyBill Frisell — Lost, NightCalifone — Burned by the Christians …
4 days ago – One professor expressed concern that “right wing sites” could expose … forced to deliver their course lectures online amid the coronavirus outbreak, … Texas ChristianUniversity Associate Professor of Political Science Emily …
Mar 10, 2020 – One theory, that suspicion of science is linked to the conservative political ideology of many Christians, is contradicted by the fact that the …
Feb 6, 2020 – [1] Everyone excluding, not surprisingly, the right–wing Israeli government and Zionist Christians in the US[2]. Palestinians and their seventy …
Feb 28, 2020 – How can Christians make sense of the coronavirus, which has infected and … Now, the biblical fact is Mark 4:41: “Even the wind and the sea obey [Jesus]. … Since he always does what is wise and right and just and good, …
Jun 18, 2019 – “It represents a new form of Christianity that could reshape the global … rightkinds of Christians in the right kind of public sectors of American …
Jul 26, 2019 – LIKE many others who seek social redemption in the ideas of the left, my socialism was formed by my Catholic faith. This was accelerated by …
Jan 29, 2020 – Coronavirus ‘plague sent by God to punish China and parents who make kids … Christian pastor and founder of TruNews Rick Wiles made the odd … Shared by Right WingWatch, the astonishing clip sees the pastor make a …
Jan 29, 2020 – Rick Wiles, the right–wing Christian broadcaster who made headlines … called the coronavirus a plague sent by God to purge the world of sin …
These are my corona virus poems. I will update this whenever I write a new corona theme poem. I have posted these also on All Poetry, Poetry Soup, Cosmos Funnel, Hello Poetry, Poetry Nook, Poetry Magnum Opus, Poetry Circle, Sweek and on FB writing groups. I have also submitted some of them for publication. And will let you know when and if they are published.
I would also love to include Corona poems written from my community of followers so please send them to me at authorjakecosmosaller@gmail.com. Include your name, bio, photo, poem and web site/twitter handle etc.
Wuhan to New York! / 5 poems: The novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (muehlberg, Dying / Death) eBook: Muehlberg, Richard L: Amazon.in: Kindle Store.
Poetry Society coronavirus update – The Poetry Society
poetrysociety.org.uk › News
Mar 14, 2020 – Poetry Society coronavirus update. We recognise that there is significant concern about the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus (Covid-19), …
Irish Priest Pens Stirring Poem About The Coronavirus …
3 days ago – Irish Priest Pens Stirring Poem About The Coronavirus Lockdown. “Yes there is fear. But there does not have to be hate. Yes there is isolation.
Poetry in times of Coronavirus, from sensible to crass – ABP Live
news.abplive.com › News
Mar 14, 2020 – Due to Coronavirus, multiple shoots have been cancelled. Hence, Amitabh Bachchan found time to right a poem about the pandemic.
Stranded Chinese truck driver-turned poet goes viral
Mar 13, 2020 – Xiao Hongbing, 50, a native of Hubei Province – where the coronavirusemerged in the city of Wuhan – has been sidelined by the outbreak and …
Mar 14, 2020 – The Coronavirus Poem (COVID-19) Explaining the situation as the world puts itself through a new pandemic born from China. Will you survive …
The coronavirus is spreading all over the U.S. Many people are dying each day. We have to pray for this, and that this is God’s plan. Write about ~Corona virus …
every day I turn on the news
nothing but news about the virus
the virus from hell
the world is filled with fear
and my anxiety levels rise
every time I turn on the news
oh my god I say
we are all going to die
and I am so afraid
afraid of everyone
afraid of everything
dreading the latest news
and nothing relieves my fear
I watch the world
loosing its collective mind
wondering how much more of this
can we all take
I scream out
Dear God save us all
god is silent as usual
and so I realized
we are doomed
perhaps it is the end times
perhaps not
I turn off the TV
try to stay calm
hoping the madness
will not overwhelm us all
Irony Meters Blow Gaskets
donald trump
the Irony meter gasket
is blown again and again
with every statement
of our chaos president
and his endless surrogates
promoting the latest Presidential
on spot guidance by our great leader
that must be true
because our dear leader
says it is so
The President accuses his democratic rival
of being senile and needs to be in home
and will be run by his radical left allies
and the right wing media
echoes the presidential absurd comments
refusing to acknowledge
that the president himself
is rapidly fading into dementia
and his radical right cronies
are looting the government
driving out expertise
even in the midst of pandemic
Oh yeah the irony meters
are blowing gaskets
every single day
Chaos
trump clown in chief
the world descends into chaos
as our world leaders
led by the chaos president
are overwhelmed
by the smallest
enemy of all
a simple virus
straight out of hell
blows through the crumbling
third world public health infrastructure
living proof of the decline of America
and no one is prepared
and panic ensures
with every Presidential tweet
as people don’t believe
a word he says
conspiracy rumors spread
everyone believes their own reality
as the world spins out of control
the chaos king is in his element
convince that only he knows
the deal
and everyone else
is iust a bit player
in the reality show
that he presides over
and so the rest of us
hunker down
just hoping for the best
as the panic and
chaos spreads faster
than the virus
are we doomed
can we survive
will God save us?
he is silent as always
Corona Virus Fears Tanka
cover 19
Corona virus
lurking fears all around me
we all will die
the TV screaming nonstop
Must be afraid be afraid
My Phobias Overwhelm Me
covid 19 spread
lately I have become scared
of everything
the news scares me, the corona virus scares me, the presidential race scares me, fears of gun men in the street, terrorism, fears of getting sick, fears of dogs, fears of other people, fear of loosing money, fears of becoming demented old man, lost in his nightmares on the street just another invisible homeless bum in the end of his life
all these phobias overwhelm me
time to walk away from my fears
and realize
it will be alright
everything will be alright
As long as I have you
by my side
Fear Fills the Air
cnn logo
watching the news
CNNMSNBCFOXBBCKOREANNEWSJAPANESENEWSBLOOMBERABCCBSNBCGOOGLEAPPLEREUTERSAPIRUSSIANTVCHINESTVFRENCHTV
blather on and on
the world is ending
pandemic is coming
we are going to die
and the fear grows
and the restrictions grow
travel comes to stop
the economy comes to a stop
everyone is so afraid
our leaders fret
say that everything is fine
as the world enters
the second great depression
and we are faced
with the reality
all over the world
idiots in high places
the masters of the universe
are in charge
the internet spreads
the wildest rumors
must be true
I read it on the internet
the truth is lost
in the shuffle
no one believes anyone
everything thinks
that they know
it is all a conspiracy
the thought comes to mind
we are all so ’S….
end of the world
is upon us
is this the best we can get?
trump
watching the news
one wonders
how in this great country
of ours
335 million people
among the most educated
richest people in the world
we can end up
with such idiots in high places
running out country?
these idiots in charge
no disrespect intended
both political parties
all corporations
and our institutions
except maybe the military
has been infected
by this virus
of epic incompetence
greed and indifference
to the general good
who loudly constantly proclaim
that they are Christians
while violating
all of Christ’s teachings
Jesus if he came back
would scream out
I am not Christian
it is all about me
and mine
and you can go
to hell
if you dare to disagree
and so we tweet and titter
and watch the news
reading the latest rumors
and I wonder
if there is a god
or if there is a devil
and are we overwhelmed
by the dismal news
why can’t we have better
leaders
better people
in our leaders
around the world
has god abandoned us
are we in hell
or did god ever exist
except in our fevered imagination
will god save us all
or will the world
just go around the sun
indifferent to our pleas?
no answer
must watch the news
consumed by the need
to see the latest news
and so it goes
and I wake up
the sun is up
and the nightmares
fade away
until I watch the news
and the madness consumes
us all again and again
as the corona virus
marches on and on
consuming us all
as the world falls apart
these must be the end times
I hope I will be raptured away
even if I am not a Christian
More Trouble Every Day
The Old Zappa song plays
on in my head
every time I turn on the news
and see more trouble every day
no one can delay
the trouble coming every day
Frank Zappa died too soon
before the horrors of the Trump era
and the corona end of the world plague
that he would have foreseen
if he had lived on
he was truly a prophet
crying in the wildness
while making money
as an over night sensation
as he saw the slime
oozing out of the TV sets
we will do what we are told
for the rights to us have been sold
And Jesus too
has been sold
to the highest bidder
nothing but a business deal
in America
the land of the constant deal
Well I’m about to get sick
From watchin’ my TV
Been checkin’ out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it’s gonna change, my friends
Is anybody’s guess
So I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin’ every day
Wednesday I watched the riot…
I seen the cops out on the street
Watched ’em throwin’ rocks and stuff
And chokin’ in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin’ ’round
Seen the smoke & fire
And the market burnin’ down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust…
Flies all green and buzzin’
In this dungeon of despair
Prisoners grumblin
Piss they clothes
Scratch their matted hair
A tiny light from a window-hole
Hundred yards away
That all they ever get to know
‘Bout the regular life in the day
‘Bout the regular life in the day
Slime and rot and rats and snuck
Vomit on the floor
Fifty ugly soldier men
Holdin’ spears by the iron door
Stinks so bad, stones are chokin’
Weepin’ greenish drops
In the den where
The giant fire puffer works
And the torture never stops
The torture never stops, torture
The torture never stops
The torture never stops
Flies all green and buzzin’
In this dungeon of despair
An evil prince eats a steamin’ pig
In a tumbers right near there
In the chambers right near there
He eats de snouts an trotters first!…
by pass the alarms spreading across the land
to bypass the alarms spreading across the land
the circuit breakers are breaking down
as the alarms go on and on
with the end of the world
the end days approaching
spreading the alarm far and wide
corona cinqku
corona virus
corona
it came from hell
we must be all prepared
meet God
Taking a Walk in the Corona Era
peace forest
every day I go for a walk
in the spring time woods
near my house
braving the weather
and the dreaded corona virus
wearing masks and gloves
keeping a distance
from anyone we encounter
that is life it seems
in the era of the corona virus
when will it end
no one knows
until then
I will brave the viral threat
and confront my fears
and walk in the park
with the love of my life
my bride my wife
by my side
in these challenging times
that is all we can do
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
empty parking lot
A lone man stands in an empty parking lot
contemplating the new normal
social distancing run amuck
as fears of the corona super plague
plague the land
driving everyone inside
sheltering in place
afraid to go out
afraid of the deadly c virus
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
two friends on a bench
It is a hell of a world we live in ain’t it?
said the old man to me
sitting on a bench
in the park in the woods
as we both sought shelter
from the spreading chaos
the pandemic swirling around us
Yes I said
standing up
to enforce the proper distance
between us
don’t want to give the virus a chance
to spread between us
he smiled and said
relax I already went through it
I am fine and you will too
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
Pause for a moment amidst the media madness
All around us fears and chaos
Unlike the end of the world approaching us
Sadness overcomes us dooming us to our fate
Every we go nothing but death awaits
I feel as if the whole world needs to be cancelled
I feel as if the whole world
needs to be canceled
due to rough times ahead
due to the corona madness
and the thread of pure craziness
that it inspires in us all
The Virus King Cried
virus king cried
the virus king smiled
as the politicians lied
saying that the end was near
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king sneered
as people panicked
and partied on the beach
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king laughed
as the markets crashed
millions became unemployed
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king roared
as the world slid into chaos
people turning on one another
the virus king infected thousands more
and killed hundreds of people
the virus king smirked
knowing that there was nothing
that they could do to stop
his army from infecting millions
and killing thousands
the virus King begin to realize
that soon there would be no one left
no one for his army to infect
as everyone was dying
the virus King yelled
remaining defiant
as civilization collapsed
billions were infected
millions died
the Virus King at last cried
when he saw that he was defeated
as one by one
people began to recover
and his reign of terror came to an end
Bring out your dead
grimm reaper
the call bring out your dead
spreads around the world
as millions die
all over the world
the virus has spread
mutated and killed
all over the world
bring out your dead
the mournful cries
echoing in the wind
of the dying cities
mass starvation
as no is working
in the fields
as more people die
and the world spins
around the sun
with the politicians lying
and the dead still dying
as civilization dies
and humanity flee
into the wilderness
chased by the killer virus
straight down to hell
the Virus Came From Hell
coronavirus
the virus came from hell
straight out of a mad lab
born and raised in China
the virus spread from Dinah
all over to carolina
it spread from the lab
the mad virus of Hell
was mad as hell at humans
who it blamed for everything
seeing itself as cleansing everything
killing the world and everything
revenge against humans
perhaps virus came from God
more likely came from Satan
part of natures’ revenge
all designed to avenge
the damage to Stonehenge
virus came from Satan
The Delivery System of the Virus is Round
cover 19 spread
the delivery system of the virus is round
very simple system
the virus spreads around
and all must pay the price
death and destruction
the corona virus is testing us all
the corona virus is testing us all
is it a plague
sent by God
if we have faith
will we recover
or it is beyond our control
the end of the world
does god hear our prayers
does god even exist
the virus from hell
spreads around the world
and test our faith
will god save us all
I have no answer
but perhaps if god exists
we will recover
from this plague
from hell
The call goes out
the call goes out
stay at home
to beat the dreaded c virus
will we live
or all die?
the four horse men ready to ride
four horsemen
the end of the world is upon us
as god unleashes the corona virus
which is spreading across the land
the four horse men are ready
to begin their grim journey
announcing the end of the world
the white horse comes first
offering peace and hope
in the midst of death
and despair
the red horse rides second
ushering in war
throughout the world
as nations turn on each other
and civil war looms
the Black Horse is ready
unleashing famine
on a starving world
as people stay at home
and food rots in the field
no one is able
to work any more
as the virus kills more
and more
the pale horse rides last
bringing death
in his wake
death all around us
as the virus kills us all
and civilization ends
the four horse men
have done their job
the virus finishes its reign of terror
and the few survivors
beging to recover
end of the world
came and went
and they are still alive
thanks to God
who remains silent
as always
nature spirits revolt agains humanity
all around the world
nature’s spirits
are on the move
the world is changing
as the nature’s spirits
rise up
in revolt against humanity
is this the end time
is nature on revolt
against humanity
is this the end for us all
will the virus kill us all
will nature rise up
and kill us all?
Last Human on Island
in the deep blue sea
nothing there
but death and destruction
virus all around
pandemic plague
Apocalyptic views
end of times
death of civilization
corona virus Haiku
corona virus
corona virus
staying home
waiting for death
Afraid everything
the virus came from hell
the virus came from hell
staying home waiting for death
Afraid everything
Bring Out Your Dead
bring out your dead cries
break out all over the world
we are waiting death
death comes knocking
death comes knocking
on our doorsteps tonight
will God hear prayers
be afraid afraid
be afraid afraid
Must be afraid every one
Death is at our door
The Virus Came From Hell
the virus came from Hell
ravaging the entire world
all waiting for death
Wednesday April 1 Hope Springs Eternal in our Winter of our Discontent writer’s digest prompt Posted
corona virus
Hope springs eternal in the winter of our discontent
On the daily news that fills us with dread
Perfect storm of hatred, fear and despair Everywhere we go nonstop fear broadcasted
Despair fills my heart as I turn on the news
Everywhere we are in the midst of the pandemic
Simply put death is at hand
Planning for the future yet waiting for death
At worst we will all die not today but soon
In the long term we are all dead
Remembering the dead all around us
yet I end this poem with a word of hope
hoping for the best
while preparing for the worst
all I can do to stay sane
as I await my fate
on this dismal date
April 1 is indeed
April Fool’s date
is that our fate
this endless dance with death?
and to end with a sign of hope
I know that if I have you by my side
I will survive I will survive
until the end of time itself
takes us to the other side
based on writer’s digest daily April poetry month challenge to write a poem about hope
the Virus King Has Arrived
poetry soup version is the Virus King has arrived = as poetry soup did not like the word “Hell”
corona
the virus from hell has arrived
catching the world unprepared
it erupted out of China
then began its terrifying reign
wiping out thousands of people
destroying jobs and economies
killing people left and right
it seemed like something
out of our worst nightmares
but at least it was not
the dreaded zombie flu
perhaps that is next’s fall’s nightmare
as the virus from hell
prepares for a fresh assault
to finish us all off
I got the kimchi blues
every day since I first ate it
back in the day
long before i went to Korea
ended up staying on in Korea
after i retired from decade
in the Foreign Service
and ten years studying
and living in Korea
before I joined
the Foreign Service
When I first ate kimchi
I was hooked
sort of a spicier version
of German sauerkraut
which i loved on my top dog
from Berkeley high school days
then off to korea
in the peace corps
where I ate kimchi
every day for every meal
and eventually I woke up
dreaming of kimchi and rice
instead of pancakes and eggs
then I knew
that I had finally adjusted
and was becoming half Korean
and now I am a hopeless kimchi addict
need to have my spicy kimchi
which is so good for you
perhaps even defeating the dreaded corona virus?
who knows but I will be eating Kimchi
until my day is done
Friday April 3
Cosmic Poet Modified Bio Poem for poetry soup contest
cosmos on the mekong
cosmic
I am wicked, wild, wacky, whimsical
i love my angela lee, coffee, nature
I can solve gun violence, homelessness and climate change
I feel anxiety, gloominess yet Joy-fullness as well
I fear the corona virus, cancer and developing Alzheimer’s
Must publish my novels, ten books of poetry and movie of my life
Currently resident of korea, west coast of United States
poet
Humor keeps us sane
Pensively prompt – unpublished
corona virus
it is a piece of what we need to do
to prevent us from getting
the dreaded corona virus
coming up your nose
Peacock Speaks
peakcock speaks
as the virus spreads
around the world
the peacock in the zoo
speaks up
talking on behalf
of their fellow species
he called upon humans
to free them from their zoo prisons
and let them be free
before it was too late
and humanity met their fate
becoming a ghost in the wind
creative talents unleashed prompt
Iguana Talks to humanity
iguana will miss human friends
the wise old Iguana
woke from its nightmares
of the end of the world
as humanity faded away
the iguana was scared
but afraid of the future
and he would miss
his human friends
creative talents unleashed prompt
writing.com prompt daily dew april poems
To all the friends I am about to loose
over the years
I have known so many people
and now when the virus
is spreading out around the world
I will soon be hearing
that this person has died
and that person has died
I will outlive many of my friends
from around the world
part of getting old
something that I fear
one day perhaps
people will hear
that jake has died
and they will say
that they barely knew me
and wished that they had
taken the time
to become my friend
Just as I think
about all the friends
i am about to loose
to this killer virus
running amuck
writing.com prompt daily dew april poems
corona fears
covid 19 virus
corona
the word fills us with dread
spreading around the world today
will we all survive this
corona
Saturday April 4
quarantine blues
quarantine
Quarantine such an ugly word
Unlike any other
All at home
Regardless of desires
No where to go
That is the worst part of it
In fact enforced staying at home
Not too bad
Especially if I have you by my side
Blues come over me
Looking out the window
Unable to go out
Everyone everybody afraid
Sums up my fearful fears
poetry soup contest
I Wish for Peace During this time of crisis
I wish for peace and happiness
during this time of despair
pandemic fears all around us
death stalking us daily
I wish for health
amid the carnage
all around me
I wish for leadership
from our President
from our governors
and our congress
and most importantly
I wish that I will survive
with my love at my side
experiencing love
in the time of corona
Ten million stories in the Naked City
there are a million stories
every day in the naked city
millions of people
stripped naked
to the bone
staring down the dead
the dead staring back
in this time
of pandemic
the dead stare out at us
mocking us
as they leave the earth
naked as when they arrived
All poetry contest – write a naked poem
The Mist from Hell Descends on the land
the mist settles down on the land
the mist covers us all
the scent of death
the grim reaper
rides behind the miss
infecting those around him
the mark of death
as the mist covers the land
the end of the world
comes with the mist from hell
Conversation with the Gods About Corona Virus
jehova
Rev. Jake ’s on-line sermon on the Corona Virus
I am reverend Jake and I have a message from God
Last night I had a vision from God
it was his message to the world
about this pandemic we are facing
I found myself in a large room
Jehovah, God, was sitting in the middle
surrounded by the other Gods
they were all there
Jesus on his right
Allah on his left
Buddha behind him
Ganesh, Shiva, Kali
Mohammed, Joseph Smith and other prophets
Gabriel and other angels abound
St Peter in front of his as his Chief of Staff
Zeus, Jupiter, Minerva and ancient
other gods all around him
God spoke up
He said
I have a message for you
to give to your people
all of your people
no matter what religion
or no religion at all
it is all one after all
first the corona virus
is a natural phenomenon
we have no control
over forces of nature
and we did not send
it to you
to punish you
for homosexuality
or anything else at all
Second obey the health directives
stay at home
do your services on line
it is okay with us
we are fine with that
the blood of Jesus
will not save you
If you are in a crowded place
like church or a mosque service
the virus will spread
and catch you in the end
Prayers alone will not save you
but please keep praying
we do listen to your prayers
but we can only do so much
So please don’t allow the virus
to spread
because of your ignorance
and fear
realize that in the end
the virus will do its thing
and you will survive
and we
all the gods here
love you humans
and wish you well
so stay at home
practice self-distancing
It is God’s will
all will survive
Under the canopy of the pine trees we lay –
pine trees jpeg
under the canopy of the pine trees we lay
along the world peace forest
in Korea
walking the forest
in the spring time
fearing the corona virus
and everyone around us
watch the snowing cherry trees
and the wind whispering
the voices of ghosts
those newly dead
and we lay down
under the canopy of the pine trees
waiting for our turn
to face the grim reaper
in this dismal day
in April
truly the cruelest month
of them all
from the poem ‘Under the canopy of pine trees
poetry soup contest
corona fears
corona
corona
the word fills us with dread
spreading around the world today
will we all survive this
corona
to those I have lost
with the corona virus upon us
I am bracing to hear the news
that so and so has died
I reflect back
on all the people in my life
that I have already lost
part of being older
is that you lose people
close to you along the way
I lost my father due to cancer in 1985
and my sister due to a freak illness in 2007
and my mother due to Alzheimer’s in 2005
and my father-in-law as well in 2007
Demel Tucker
high school debate teammate
dead of HIV in 1995
Julian Bartley and his son
one of my favorite bosses
died in a terrorist bombing
in Nairobi in 1998
Jon Weber college roommate
dead due to prostate cancer
in 2000
Paul Simon friend from the visa line
dropped dead of a heart attack
in 2004
Ted Halstead
one of my best bosses
died of heart attack
in 2007
Chris Richard one of my former bosses
dropped dead of a heart attack
shortly before we were due
to have lunch in 2014
and so many others
I have lost
along the way
and soon there will be
so many more
as I get old
in the corona era
writing.com daily dew drop prompt to write an elegy poem
We live in an Orwellian world
1984 images
we are living
in an Orwellian 1984 world
and have been for decades
we are assaulted daily
by alternative realties
promoted by various politicians
designed to shut down
all rational thought
true Orwellian thought control
and now with the corona virus
massive surveillance
has become the norm
and when the crisis is over
the surveillance will continue
on one excuse after another
forever as Orwell’s nightmare
big brother ruling us all
comes true
based on the fear that the massive increase in social surveillance being deployed against the Corona virus will after the crisis is over continue forever under one excuse or another as the Orwellian big brother dictatorships around the world become permanent
saeyeong jima plays out in life
The Korean Proverb
saeyeong jima
recently came to life in my life
The meaning of the proverb
Is that you can never know whether something
will be good or bad
and that unexpectedly
what appears to be bad fortune
turns out to be a good fortune
The proverb played
out recently in my life
about lunar New Year’s Day
we were preparing to go to Thailand
from two weeks from our home
in South Korea
and then at the end of February
we would go to DC
My wife blew out her lumber desk
and we were forced to cancel our trips
This occurred
just as the coronavirus
was taking off around the world
and if we had gone
we may have been stuck either in Thailand
or we may have been stuck in the United States
and traveling
in the mist of a corona outbreak
would probably mean
that we would have been exposed
to the virus
instead we were forced to stay home
and self quarantine ourselves
and therefore
we escaped being exposed to the coronavirus
and we feel much safer
here in Korea where the outbreak is contained
rather than in DC
where it is still spreading everywhere
so in a sense her misfortune
throwing out her disk
which resulted in us staying at home
and avoiding the coronavirus
is the true meaning
of the Korean Chinese expression
saeyeong jima
writers digest prompt write a lucky/unlucky poem
corona virus tanka
corona virus
it is spreading all over
the world dying
I walk down the path of life
Along with love of my wife
The best meal of my life
korean feast jpg
the best meals of my life
has always been what my wife
cooks up for me every night
she is a genius in the kitchen
always making something great
from the simplest ingredients
Because she came down with celiac disease
she could only eat
what she prepared from scratch
and so she was forced
to give up all processed foods
and in the process she became
the greatest cook
in the universe
I wait with baited breath
to taste the great food
that she creates for me
on lunar new years
she threw out her lumbar disk
and we were forced to stay home
just as the corona pandemic
swept across the world
if we had traveled
we would have contracted
the dreaded corona virus
and we were forced
to stay at home
and she took advantage
of staying at home
to try new dishes
every single day
I recall the Korean proverb
saeyeong jima
as her misfortune
turned into fortune
and once again
she saved me life
I am the luckiest man in life
the best fed man of all I know
due to the cooking skills of my wife
Writing.com daily dew drop prompt write a food poem
corona virus haiku
corona virus
brings death and our destruction
destroying our life
White Flower spring Time Haiku
white flowers in spring haiku
now in the springtime
white flowers blooming in the park
corona death waits
Woman releases balloons of hope
ballons for peace
A young woman
walks in a park
on a sunny spring day
carrying 25 red balloons
each red balloon
contains the name of those
that recently died
in the corona virus pandemic
she is releasing the balloons
hoping they would
rise to heaven
with a request for God
to hear her prayers
End this pandemic
End the death and destruction
release us from the corona pandemic
the woman releases the balloons
and slowly walks back to her house
to prepare to attend yet another funeral
as the pandemic swirls all around her
creative talents unleashed prompt
life interrupted by corona
covid19
we live in a strange world
life interrupted by corona
the virus spread throughout the world
disrupting everything
putting life on hold
as more people
hunkered down
waiting for the virus
to pass over us
like in biblical times
the virus
will test us all
and then
we will all
go back
to life interrupted
writing.com Daily Dew Drop interruption
Saudade for friends I have lost
as I get older
I lose more people
every year
more people I knew
have died moving on
and I mourn their lost friendship
wished I had been
a better friend for them
and knew them better
and with the corona virus
spreading around the world
I will lose so many more
in the coming year
as the virus spreads
its malignancy far and wide
I lost my father due to cancer in 1985
and my sister
due to a freak illness in 2007
and my mother
due to Alzheimer’s in 2005
and my father-in-law as well in 2007
Demel Tucker
high school debate teammate
dead of HIV in 1995
Julian Bartley and his son
died in a terrorist bombing
in Nairobi in 1998
Jon Weber college roommate
dead due to prostate cancer
in 2000
Paul Simon friend from the visa line
dropped dead of a heart attack
in 2004
Ted Halstead
one of my best bosses
died of heart attack in 2007
Judy Fine
My Co-Ho partner in crime
died in 2006
Chris Richard
one of my former bosses
from my days in Bangkok
dropped dead of a heart attack
shortly before we were due
to have lunch in 2014
and so many others
I have lost
along the way
and soon there will be
so many more
as I get old in the corona era
writing.com saudade poem
The end of the world news depresses me
trump jpg
the end of the world news
depresses me
makes me want to shout and scream
STFU leave me alone
to deal with my grief
amid the death and destruction
watching CNNMSNBCFOXBBC media nonstop
filled with essential dread
the end of the world is upon us
from the screaming news media
spreading forth across the land
fake news screams the president
all is alright he proclaims
no one believes his 16,000 lies
and so it goes
we are drowning with information
coming at us so fast and furious
When will it end my friend
is anyone’s guess
in the long run we are dead
National poetry Month Day Seven poem inspired by the news
God Did not Send the Corona Virus as a Punishment Black Out Poem
Robert_Jeffress
original text
During a press briefing today to address the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump was asked about certain Christian pastors who plan to defy state lockdown orders and hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Trump then referred to a notorious pastor who sits on his religious advisory council.
“I’m going to be watching Pastor Robert Jeffress, who’s been a great guy,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Jeffress is known for his litany of statements demonizing the LGBT community, abortion, and secular people. One of his most reviled comments came in 2015 when he said the 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” Jeffress said during a speech at Liberty University. “‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, and most of the pastors agree … that they are better off doing what they are doing, which is, distancing,” Trump said, adding that the pastors want to “get back to church so badly.”
Black out text
the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump
hold Easter church services this Sunday.
“I’ve had talks with the pastors, get back to church so badly.”
“He’s a great guy and I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
he 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,” ‘Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims in 2001 to kill 3,000 of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’”
Poem
Corona Pandemic is Not’s God’s Punishment
Amid the coronavirus pandemic,
President Trump
Attended virtual Easter church services
I’ve had talks with the pastors,
We need to get back
to church so badly.”
Rev Jeffries is a great guy
I’m going to be watching on a laptop.”
Rev Jeffries said
The 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment
on America for abortion.
“People ask me all the time,”
‘Well, I just don’t understand
why God wouldn’t protect our nation
and he would allow these
radical Muslims in 2001
to kill 3,000 of our citizens
and why God doesn’t protect us
Surely, God doesn’t use pagans
to bring judgment
upon his own people,
does he?’”
I am sad to report
Rev Jeffries
I spoke to God
This morning
He confirmed
He did not cause 9-11
To bring judgement
On the US
For abortion
He went on to say
The corona virus
Is beyond his control
And he is not sending it
To punish the US
Or the world
His final words
Please tell Rev Jeffries
To simply STFU
there is too much to cover so will probably try to update this once a week every Monday. Enjoy: I have turned this into three different postings, my observations and news clippings, right wing Christian nonsense and corona poems.
updated assessment on the USG response:
I have to revise my assessment. I would give the government a B now and Trump a C. He is stepping up to the plate and a lot is going on. and the stimulus package if they can approve it and I am sure they will, will make a great difference.
but the President is still wasting everyone’s time. His advisors need to shut him up. Have him read his prepared statements then leave answering no questions. When he asked questions he veers off script and goes on unhelpful tangents. He is still too insulting and off message. And for God’s case he needs to stop calling it the China virus. It is just a matter of time before some nut case is going to start shooting Asians.
finally the US should start providing assistance to foreign governments rather that shutting borders. he should also ask for help from other governments and the WHO should ask for additional tests etc.
overall too little too late and he is still making it all about Trump. He needs to shut up, quit tweeting and let the VP lead the task force. He should not even be in the room but if he feels he needs to be there, he should just read his statement and leave and answer no questions and god forbid do not tweet anything.
Update on stimulus package –
if it passes with robust unemployment insurance, food security assistance, student debt relief, two thousand dollars stimulus cash payments, bailouts of the hotel and airline, and cruise ship industry and prohibitions against corporations using bail out money on stock buy backs and CEO bonuses, it will go a long way towards blunting the impact of the crisis. I fear though we are not prepared for the coming months. I hope it will calm down by June and with the help of the supercomputer resources pledged by MIT, google and others treatment and vaccines will be in place by the end of the summer and the crisis will be over early in the fall although experts believe it won’t be over for 18 months to 2 years but the shut down of the economy will end by June and the travel bans will be lifted by July. The Olympics will be postponed until next year. whoever is elected president will have to embrace medicare for all option as well as mandatory paid sick leave for all full time employees.
worst case scenario we are entering a world wide recession and by December we will be looking at 30% unemployment. and a revival of the civilian conservation corps and perhaps a draft as well. End update
original posting follows:
During the last two months the corona pandemic has been overwhelming governments, societies and individuals and me as it rapidly spreads across the globe. Here are my thoughts on the virus from my home in Youngjongdo, Korea, near the Incheon airport. Following my thoughts I have added some key articles for you to read. Then I post my corona poems. But I am having some audacity issues so I will post my audio clips next week along with perhaps a few more articles, and poems and update to my thoughts.
What governments need to do now
First, we realize that governments and societies around the world have failed miserably at handling the crisis as it unfolds.
Second, the pandemic has revealed that that the US health care system — and we need universal health care and we need paid sick leave now. Whoever becomes President will have to enact these two policies.
Third, governments around the world will have to spend a lot more money and policies on public health care.
Fourth, governments around the world will have to have a standing interagency public health task force that coordinates policies worldwide.
Fifth, WHO will have to have a lot more resources, governments and institutions will have share information around the world.
Sixth, the federal government must reallocate resources from the bloated military national security sector to the public health sector, including funding for medicare for all and paid family/sick leave for all.
Seventh, the federal government once this is over should hold a lesson learned exercise with all 50 states, major cities and major hospitals and universities taking part in the virtual national conference. A federal commission should conduct this. They should share the results with the public, and with foreign governments and WHO. The federal public health commission should become a standing body, with representatives from all the states, major hospitals and universities and pharmacies and labs and representatives from the military. They should hold a mini-public health conference once a year to review policies to prepare for the next pandemic which will hit us.
The USG should call upon the world community under the auspices of WHO to convene a world-wide virtual conference to prepare for the next pandemic based on lessons learned from this pandemic and WHO should hold an annual pandemic response virtual conference.
Eight, both the DNC and RNC must postpone the remaining primaries until June and turned them into mail in elections. This should also apply to the national election.
Nine, the DNC and RNC must turn the conventions into virtual conventions and that too should be the new normal.
Tenth, Universities and school districts across the country should move a significant number of classes online and that should also become the new normal.
the Democrats must ensure that the republicans don’t dismantle the rest of the federal budget to pay for expanded public health spending. And they must insist on some modest tax increases. But the democrats should consider some targeting reductions in less essential spending.
Public health screenings before traveling on planes, trains, long-distance buses and cruise ships must become the new normal. Those denied boarding must be able to-book their travel with a minimum of expense and bureaucratic delays.The basic principle must be that if you have a fever or a severe cough, you can’t travel. This also means that governments must grant automatic extensions of visas for those who can’t travel because of illness.
The USG should require foreigners to purchase Traveler’s medical insurance prior to travel to the U.S.
Drug companies, research labs and universities must share their research with the entire worldwide medical community, and WHO should set up a universal medical research data base so researchers can research the latest medical advances in real time.
The Olympics and major international sporting events should be postponed for one year.
the USG should consider the following emergency measures once the number of cases exceed 100,000 which it will with a week.
Total national shut down shelter in place for 30 days, re-newable at the end of the month and reviewed monthly
total shut down of the border, and US domestic travel except for essential travel defined as follows:
diplomatic travel
military travel
government travel related to the virus response
travel by medical worker
travel by private sector employee related to the virus response
travel by family members of military/diplomatics returning home
travel by non-essential employees and military/diplomatic family members returning home
travel by high level business delegations especially related to the virus response
travel by Americans coming returning overseas
other essential travel approved on a case by case basis
coupled with the travel ban, postponing all visa processing except as part of the exemptions listed above, and cancelling visa waiver travel except as part of the exceptions listed above, visa bans would remain in place as long as the travel ban remains in place
Before this is put into place the USG must coordinate with all of its partners so we all get on the same wave length.
Finally the US should convene a world wide high level virtual conference of world leaders followed up by actions that are agreed to by all leaders
Update: and the stimulus package must be enacted now with a supplemental package if needed this summer. Quit the politics now!
USG Response – updated from 2/10 or a Solid D to C
If I had to grade the US response, I would grade it as D so far up to now-given the President some credit for finally realizing in the last few days how it is indeed a real national emergency and taking steps that they should have taken back in January.
based on the presidents actions the last few days and the congressional finally putting politics aside I would upgrade the President’s response from a D to a C.It will take some time for me to rate him as a B.Hope he gets there.
Finally I am looking for the government to do the actions outlined above.
If we pull together and get the virus under control, we should be able to recover from this by September, if not, or we get a second waive before we get the vaccine under control we could be looking at another great depression which may take years to recover.
if we head down that path the government must set up an updated civilian conservation corps to put people to work. And we may need to re-impose the draft but if we do that we should couple it with a massive GI bill afterwards paying for college and training in return for national service.The national service requirement would also mean that people will be drafted to work in the health care system and industry as well as in the military.
we will know if we need to do this by June and if so we must set it up so it goes into effect by September.
Quit Calling It the China Virus
the one thing I am still upset about if Trump calling this the China flu.he needs to stop that sh,,,right now before unhinged nut cases with guns start shooting Asians because somehow they thought that Trump was either calling them to do so or condoning it.he needs to address this now and say that asians are not virus carriers and he will condemn any and all racist attacks on Asian owned businesses.He should also make it clear that we will not under any circumstances repeat the internment policies of world war 11.to top it off he should start orderingChinese food for the white house staffers and the pandemic support team.
Apologize for having gotten it wrong and responding too late use the dread words I take responsibility!!!!!
Final point I would call upon both Trump and Pence to take responsibility for their inept initial responses and promise to retire by the end of their term.
For Biden Keep your comments positive there will be time to cast blame later
For Biden I would call upon him to talk about what he would do if President but not criticize the President or his team instead he should congratulate them on their finally getting it together and offer concrete positive suggestions for moving forward.Now it not the time for political gamesmanship on either parties.
The one thing that I feared would happen has not yet happen. Gun nuts shooting up Asians. Hopefully that will not become a thing.
Update
the most important thing the president can do now is to read his prepared statement then walk away and not take questions. We don’t need to hear his extended boasting that he is a billionaire etc etc nor do we need to hear his inept answering of questions or his overly optimistic assessments etc. Let the task force speak and please no tweets!!!!!! I am going to send a link to my blog to Trump and to Biden and will let you know if anyone responses or if I am sued or arrested because I pissed off the President. I truly want the President to rise to the occasion and be the leader we need in these dark times and I hope if he is reading this that he understand that.
end comment
South Korean response Solid B
If I had to grade South Korea where I am currently lying low a grade I would give them a B – they have done something very well — mass testing, developing drive through and now walk through testing, public health tracing of infected people. They have failed in mask distribution, should have banned exports of masks right away, and their overly bureaucratic mask distribution policy requiring people to line up and get two masks per person based on the birthday is a disaster. And they like all governments around the world are not prepared for the massive unemployment that will soon hit the country. But on balance, we are probably better off here than in.
the one thing I would caution them is to assume that the crisis is over and return to business as usual. As long as there are cases spreading the government must be vigilant. It would not take much for a second wave to occur. By May or June perhaps the crisis will be over.
afterwards institutionalize health checks at the airport and refuse boarding to anyone who has a fever or put in quarantine if they are coming from abroad.
make the government corona task force a standing body that would meet weekly to coordinate public health measures and prepare for the next epidemic which will happen sooner or later. Korea has built up an impressive response to the pandemic. They need to keep it ready for future crises. And Korea needs to work with other governments in developing tests, medicine, vaccine and data collection techniques.
What governments need to do now
First, we realize that governments and societies around the world have failed miserably at handling the crisis as it unfolds.
Second, the pandemic has revealed that that the US health care system — and we need universal health care and we need paid sick leave now. Whoever becomes President will have to enact these two policies.
Third, governments around the world will have to spend a lot more money and policies on public health care.
Fourth, governments around the world will have to have a standing interagency public health task force that coordinates policies worldwide.
Fifth, WHO will have to have a lot more resources, governments and institutions will have share information around the world.
Sixth, the federal government must reallocate resources from the bloated military national security sector to the public health sector, including funding for medicare for all and paid family/sick leave for all.
Seventh, the federal government once this is over should hold a lesson learned exercise with all 50 states, major cities and major hospitals and universities taking part in the virtual national conference. A federal commission should conduct this. They should share the results with the public, and with foreign governments and WHO. The federal public health commission should become a standing body, with representatives from all the states, major hospitals and universities and pharmacies and labs and representatives from the military. They should hold a mini-public health conference once a year to review policies to prepare for the next pandemic which will hit us.
The USG should call upon the world community under the auspices of WHO to convene a world-wide virtual conference to prepare for the next pandemic based on lessons learned from this pandemic and WHO should hold an annual pandemic response virtual conference.
Eight, both the DNC and RNC must postpone the remaining primaries until June and turned them into mail in elections. This should also apply to the national election.
Nine, the DNC and RNC must turn the conventions into virtual conventions and that too should be the new normal.
Tenth, Universities and school districts across the country should move a significant number of classes online and that should also become the new normal.
the Democrats must ensure that the republicans don’t dismantle the rest of the federal budget to pay for expanded public health spending. And they must insist on some modest tax increases. But the democrats should consider some targeting reductions in less essential spending.
Public health screenings before traveling on planes, trains, long-distance buses and cruise ships must become the new normal. Those denied boarding must be able to-book their travel with a minimum of expense and bureaucratic delays. The basic principle must be that if you have a fever or a severe cough, you can’t travel. This also means that governments must grant automatic extensions of visas for those who can’t travel because of illness.
The USG should require foreigners to purchase Traveler’s medical insurance prior to travel to the U.S.
Drug companies, research labs and universities must share their research with the entire worldwide medical community, and WHO should set up a universal medical research data base so researchers can research the latest medical advances in real time.
The Olympics and major internationl sporting events should be postponed for one year.
read this one!
What symptoms are most common, which groups are most at risk, and more.
The outbreak of Covid-19, a coronavirus-caused illness that originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to most of the world, is one of the most serious public health crises in decades. It has spread far wider than Ebola did in 2014, and the World Health Organization has designated it a pandemic.
As of March 11, there have been more than 125,000 reported cases, more than 4,600 deaths worldwide, and more than 1,200 reported cases and 29 deaths in the US, according to Johns Hopkins’s tracker; its count is usually up to date and worth bookmarking as the crisis progresses.
The situation on the ground is evolving incredibly quickly, and it’s impossible to synthesize everything we know into clean, intelligible charts. But we do know a fair bit about how bad the outbreak is, what the disease does, and what controlling and ultimately ending the outbreak will look like.
With that in mind, here are nine charts that help explain the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis.
1) The virus is spreading rapidly
As of this writing, the Covid-19 caseload is rising rapidly day to day, but here’s where things stood as of March 8. The vast majority of reported cases are still in China, where the outbreak began, but whereas the number of new Chinese cases is falling, the number of new international cases is rising, indicating that the epicenter of the problem is shifting from China to new places like Italy.
Note that the huge spike in new cases was due to improved data reporting from China; there was not one particularly bad day in the middle of February.
2) Know the symptoms
The symptoms of Covid-19 vary from case to case, but the most common ones in China, from February data, are fever and dry cough (which are each seen in a majority of cases), fatigue, and sputum (the technical term for thick mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract).
If you have a fever and dry cough, that could be a good reason to get yourself tested if possible.
Note: if possible is the caveat. We don’t have enough tests still end , China has offered test kits, WHO, and South Korea but so far the Trump administration has refused all such offers perhaps because he does not want to appear that we are now a third world country in need of assistance. End note
3) Death rates in China have declined over time
One glimmer of hope in this story is that Chinese medical authorities appeared to get better at treating infections and preventing death as the outbreak proceeded. “Even the first and hardest-hit province, Hubei, saw its death rate tumble as public health measures were strengthened and clinicians got better at identifying and treating people with the disease,” Vox’s Julia Belluz explains.
The rate didn’t go down on its own; China took drastic, even authoritarian measures to lock down affected areas and contain the virus’s spread so that the medical system was not overwhelmed.
4) Older people in China have been at the greatest risk of dying from Covid-19
The Spanish flu of 1918-’19, the most horrific pandemic in modern times, focused mainly on the young. It had biological similarities to a flu pandemic in the 1830s that gave some older people in the 1910s limited immunity.
Covid-19 is not like that. So far, deaths in China have been concentrated among older adults, who have weaker immune systems on average than younger people and have a higher rate of chronic illness. People of all ages with chronic medical conditions are also at higher risk. The risk of death is real for younger people as well, but older people have the most reason to take care.
5) This is much more severe than an ordinary flu
It is tempting to compare Covid-19 to a more familiar disease: the seasonal flu. After all, the flu also has mild symptoms for most people, and can be dangerous and lethal among vulnerable populations like the elderly. President Trump even made this comparison recently.
But as the case fatality data shows, there’s no real comparison. About 6 percent of people 60 or older infected with Covid-19 die, according to data we have so far; that’s over six times the fatality rate for elderly people infected with the flu. The overall case fatality rate is at least 23 times greater (the fatality rate has risen since this chart was made).
6) Experts also think Covid-19 is more contagious than the ordinary flu
There’s another way that Covid-19 is a tougher adversary than the seasonal flu: Its R0 (“R nought”) is over 2, indicating that it’s more contagious than the typical flu. R0 estimates the number of people an average infected person spreads the disease to. “R0 is important because if it’s greater than 1, the infection will probably keep spreading, and if it’s less than 1, the outbreak will likely peter out,” the Atlantic’s Ed Yong explains. Covid-19’s R0 is substantially higher than 1, giving more reason for concern.
7) Spending on airlines, hotels, and cruises is collapsing
Warnings to avoid crowds, and cancellations of major gatherings like conferences and parades, have put a damper on travel in the US, and the consequences for airlines have been dire. According to Earnest Research, spending on airlines fell 16.5 percent in the last week of February relative to a year prior. Cruises have seen a similar dip, while hotels are only now starting to see sales mildly decline.
It’s unlikely that the economic impact will stay limited to the hospitality industry, as social distancing leads people to avoid coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, bars, etc.
The Trump administration’s slow rollout of testing for coronavirus has become something of a national scandal, and it’s easy to see why when you compare the US testing rate to that of other affected countries. South Korea stands out for its rapid rollout of extensive testing, including through innovative drive-through testing programs.
Drive-through testing is being piloted in some parts of the US, like New Hampshire, but we still have a long way to go before we match South Korean and Chinese testing levels.
Comment: the USG refused the offer of testing Kits from WHO, Alibaba and others because they did not want the world to think that the US was like a third world country that needed foreign aid. End Comment
9) Why canceling events and self-quarantining is so important
Covid-19 has quickly made large-scale gatherings and conferences unpopular if not socially frowned upon. This change arrived quickly, and may seem jarring, but it’s easier to see the logic when you understand the theory behind this kind of “social distancing” policy. The key is to “flatten the curve”: slowing the rate of increase in infections so that you spread out the cases, even if the total number doesn’t change. Flattening the curve slows the rate at which new cases arrive in hospitals, easing the burden on health care infrastructure and improving the odds that individual patients will survive.
comment: the cancellation of large events could spread and become the new normal for the next year or so in any events the Olympics have to be cancelled unless things change dramatically in the next few weeks. i.e. zero new cases in Japan or elsewhere by the end of May which is the drop dead deadline to cancel or postpone. the IOC has the power to postpone for a year through a simple change to the rules that otherwise state that the game must be held within that calendar year. End Comment
Part two some interesting articles – had a difficult choice to make – way too many to post.
Did Trump’s inaction make the coronavirus outbreak worse?
Cartoon Trump: ‘The markets are supposed to jump up and down! That means they’re excited!’Published 20 mins ago on March 15, 2020By Sarah K. Burris
President Donald Trump’s cartoon avatar appeared in the fake press briefing room Sunday evening to explain that everything was fine, and people shouldn’t panic over the coronavirus.
With sweat dripping off of his orange face, cartoon Trump was excited about the disaster, saying it meant he could work from home in his pajamas.
“What an exciting time to be barely alive!” he exclaimed from the podium.
When cartoon Vice President Mike Pence took to the podium, he explained that in troubling times he turns to the Bible. Trump then interrupted because he was bored.
“What can the American people do to stay safe?” a reporter asked.
Donald Trump look worse:
trump
If there’s one thing that has been revealed by the coronavirus crisis is that President
Donald Trump had never been tested and wasn’t prepared for it. Vice President Mike Pence, however, is earning praise for remaining calm, reassuring Americans and not screwing anything up. The bigotry of low expectations, combined with Trump’s failed leadership made it clear the president wasn’t prepared for a crisis.
An Axios piece highlighted the praise for Pence’s keen ability not to destroy the country and keep the stock market from falling when he speaks.
Tuesday March 17, 2020 · 2:54 AM Korean Standard Time
trump
In some cases, Donald Trump’s base reportedly trusts him exclusively to handle the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation.
But in other cases, fissures appear to be developing among some of Trump’s most fervent acolytes that could doom him electorally in November.
Politico reports that Fox News’ Tucker Carlson dared to tell his loyal following last week that Trump officials were trivializing “what is clearly a very serious problem.” Meanwhile, Sean Hannity framed the outcry among Democratic officials as “fear-mongering by the deep state.”
The mixed messages from Trump loyalists have played out across the board, from media figures to religious leaders to GOP lawmakers themselves. Even as Trump downplayed the coronavirus for weeks to the point of encouraging people to go to work with it, some of his most fervent defenders on Capitol Hill decided to self-quarantine and get tested, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Trump’s newly tapped chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
Seth Mandel, editor-in-chief of the right-leaning Washington Examiner magazine, noted that conservatives have gone from electoral euphoria to dread in the span of about two weeks as they watched the prospect of a Trump reelection bid against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders turn to dust and horrifying coronavirus news out of Italy start migrating to U.S. headlines.
Mandel also lamented how Trump had initially responded to a crisis uniquely suited to a nationalistic framework—i.e., fear of outsiders, particularly China and its economic dominance. “When the president had a crisis that hit that would have, theoretically, been designed perfectly for the nationalist argument, he didn’t reach for it. So maybe he doesn’t really believe it,” he told Politico.
But bottom line, the mixed messages and splintering among his base are problems Trump simply can’t afford, given his razor-thin margin for error in November.
During the transition, Trump cabinet officials and other aides were given a three hour brief and a hypothetical exercise in responding to a global epidemic.
Detailed briefing books were prepared by Obama administration officials for scenarios like this and others. They were later found in the trash.
As Politico reports, incoming Trump administration officials gave Obama officials a big “meh.” Consequently, coupled with the tremendous turnover during the tumultuous Trump’s presidency, the U.S. was unprepared, by choice, to to meet the challenge of this very real global epidemic that has beleaguered America.
The briefing was intended to hammer home a new, terrifying reality facing the Trump administration, and the incoming president’s responsibility to protect Americans amid a crisis. But unlike the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the globe, this 2017 crisis didn’t really happen — it was among a handful of scenarios presented to Trump’s top aides as part of a legally required transition exercise with members of the outgoing administration of Barack Obama.
POLITICO obtained documents from the meeting and spoke with more than a dozen attendees to help provide the most detailed reconstruction of the closed-door session yet. It was perhaps the most concrete and visible transition exercise that dealt with the possibility of pandemics, and top officials from both sides — whether they wanted to be there or not — were forced to confront a whole-of-government response to a crisis. The Trump team was told it could face specific challenges, such as shortages of ventilators, anti-viral drugs and other medical essentials, and that having a coordinated, unified national response was “paramount” — warnings that seem eerily prescient given the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Susan Rice had this to say about this January 2017 meeting and the reasons we now find ourselves facing likely mass infection in the U.S.
“Rather than heed the warnings, embrace the planning and preserve the structures and budgets that had been bequeathed to him, the president ignored the risk of a pandemic,” Rice wrote. (Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton, who oversaw the dissolution of the NSC’s global health security and biodefense section, has defended it as necessary streamlining, countering that global health “remained a top NSC priority.” Trump, when recently asked about the reshuffling, called the question “nasty” and said, “I don’t know anything about it.”)
The story is another example of the unforced errors and nonchalance that led to threats we now face. Probably ‘because Obama.’ This event precedes Trump’s disbanding of the Pandemic Response Unit at the NSC.
Thanks to the arrogant attitudes and inaction, the dangerous clown show Trump and his aides have made of their (oh, the irony) ‘pandemic response’ has put us all in danger.
Share stories like this far and wide. Perhaps some of Trump’s ardent followers will finally admit The Emperor Has No Clothes.
Another truth to share is Trump disbanding the Pandemic Response Unit of the NSC. He admitted it twice, now denying he knew nothing about it. Of course.
The article the diary was drawn from is linked here, along with other links about his calling for cuts at the CDC:
Eck. One more turd to plop in the festering stew of Trump’s incompetence, evidencing how careless, unprepared, and unworthy Trump is to be POTUS.
NBC News had a good report on this recently, noting that the president’s decision “to downsize the White House national security staff — and eliminate jobs addressing global pandemics — is likely to hamper the U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus.”
The truth is probably “because Obama,” who with VP Biden established the permanent Pandemic Response Unit within the National Security Council, able to rapidly respond in the U.S. to epidemics and work in concert with governments around the world to curb the spread of deadly diseases. Ebola and SARS outbreaks made it apparent we needed to be prepared for viral contagion that would more than likely arrive on our shores in the future.
When first questioned about why he disbanded the Pandemic Response Unit in 2018 — the same year Trump and Republicans had no problem giving a trillion dollar tax cut to people who didn’t need it— he responded:
“I’m a business person,” he explained two weeks ago in response to a similar question. “I don’t like having thousands of people around when you don’t need them. When we need them, we can get them back very quickly.”
Except you can’t reassemble a team like that ‘very quickly.’ One more check mark in the long column of items on the “Trump is clueless about …’ list. This one glaringly evidencing how utterly devoid he is in understanding, concern, or interest in how the executive branch should work.
Not to mention his absolute disregard as president in fulfilling his duty to protect American lives behind the scenes when the cameras aren’t rolling. When they are, he pompously pretends to have it all under control. His ego-driven dysfunction has put the health of all Americans in jeopardy.
We don’t yet know the extent of contagion because we haven’t had enough tests to go around. And the Trump administration wouldn’t allow independent testing.
As the threat to the U.S. grew, late last week he spewed a word salad of a differentexcuse when pressed again by a reporter about his 2018 decision to disband the pandemic response team we sure could have used right about now:
“I just think this is something, Peter, that you can never really think is going to happen. You know, who — I’ve heard all about, ‘This could be…’ — you know, ‘This could be a big deal,’ from before it happened. You know, this — something like this could happen…. Who would have thought? Look, how long ago is it? Six, seven, eight weeks ago — who would have thought we would even be having the subject? … You never really know when something like this is going to strike and what it’s going to be.”
So, let’s get this straight: he disbanded the NSC Pandemic Response Unit because he never realized America might need it one day (and “de-Obamacizing, no doubt).
Hm. Does having a military ‘just in case’ there’s an attack on the U.S., or the presidential bunker he can retreat to ‘just in case’ ring a bell? Or why we have fire departments ‘just in case’ there’s a fire? Helllllllo?
It’s clear the concept of ‘insurance’ is foreign to him.
We need to get rid of this clueless, narcissistic moron in November and replace him with someone who’s dedicated to the welfare of the American people instead of dedication to his self interests and daily displays of pomposity.
There is so much at stake in November.
I’m Voting Blue No Matter Who.
The Bay Area, long one of the world’s mightiest growth engines, could be headed for a coronavirus-induced recession, as shelter in place orders shutter stores and bars, construction grinds to a halt, and the tourism and hospitality industry all but disappears.
This week, UCLA Anderson Forecast issued its first revision to its quarterly report in its 68-year history. Despite a strong start to the year, it’s now predicting two quarters of negative economic growth nationally — enough to be considered a recession — and for the economy to take until 2022 to be fully recovered. California, according to the forecast, will be harder hit, with a projected 280,000 jobs lost in the state. And that’s not even accounting for the shelter in place order imposed on Monday throughout the Bay Area.
“We’re in uncharted territory as to the economic effects of the measures being taken to control the spread of this pathogen in the Bay Area,” said Jerry Nickelsburg, director of UCLA Anderson Forecast.
The forecast predicts unemployment in the state will reach 6.2 percent by the end of the year and average 6.6 percent during 2021. The January statewide unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, according to the California Employment Development Department. Personal income, adjusted for inflation, is expected to stay basically flat until 2022.
Not everyone is convinced about the worst-case outcome for the region, though.
“This is business delayed, not business canceled,” said Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics. “At least not yet.”
UCLA Anderson projects California will be hard hit because it has a large presence of the industrieslikely to be most affected by coronavirus, Nickelsburg said. That includes hospitality, tourism, leisure — bars, restaurants and entertainment — and warehousing and transportation.
There are about 165,000 warehouse and transportation workers in the San Jose and San Francisco metro areas alone, which covers the five-county Bay Area plus San Benito County, according to 2018 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Another 313,000 work in leisure industries including arts, accommodation and food services. About a third of the job losses projected in the state by the UCLA Anderson Forecast will come from those industries.
Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center, is particularly worried about those workers because they tend to be lower paid. Other vulnerable populations she’s watching for are those who are at risk of being homeless — for example people couch-surfing with friends — and undocumented residents who can’t access all the same public benefits.
“My fear is that those folks will then become economically unstable for a much longer period of time, they’ll be less able to recover quickly,” Hoene said. “We could see an increase in the state’s already high levels of homelessness. We could see an increase in the poverty level.”
If those workers aren’t able to recover quickly it could make it harder for the whole region to recover, she said.
Ted Egan, chief economist at the San Francisco Office of the Controller, said some Bay Area businesses are also being affected by the potentially long-lasting damage the outbreak has done to the global supply chain.
“I think that there’s some types of business — you think about takeout and delivery services — that people will turn to when they can’t turn to their retails in person,” Egan said, which could include tech companies that do deliveries like DoorDash or online shopping like Amazon.
But in a recession where the financial system is in trouble and consumers are suffering, not even those businesses will be safe.
The Bay Area’s construction industry also is affected, with all but a few essential jobs at hospitals and public transit being postponed, said Daniel Romero, assistant business manager for electrical workers union in Santa Clara County.
“One guy called me, he was almost in tears yesterday,” Romero said. “He barely got back to work and the job was shut down.”
It’s hard to know if all building has stopped — housing construction is considered an essential service that will be allowed to continue — but Romero said he’s directing his members to file for unemployment if their job is shut down or to access the union’s disability benefits if they test positive for COVID-19. In the meantime, the union has closed its apprenticeship program and is down to a skeleton crew.
“The unknowing I think is the hardest part,” he said. “We’re complying, so we’re just doing the best we can.”
For those hoping that at least a recession might bring down the region’s sky-high home prices, research suggests that might not happen, according to a Zillow analysis of past outbreaks. During the SARS epidemic, Hong Kong’s home prices stayed basically the same but the number of home sales declined by as much as three quarters.
Although most forecasters are predicting short-term economic declines, not everyone thinks the region is headed toward a recession.
“Everybody take a deep breath,” said Thornberg, of Beacon Economics.”Shutting everything down right now is a way of preventing a problem, not causing a problem.”
He compared the outbreak to natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, which cause temporary disruptions but aren’t a sufficiently long-term shock to tip the economy into a recession. He said it’s possible we’ll have one quarter of negative economic growth, but that’s it.
But all forecasters and experts agree on one thing: The economic damage done by the pandemic will be determined by how long it lasts and how quickly it is brought under control. In announcing its revision predicting a recession, UCLA Anderson Forecast included an important caveat.
“If the pandemic is much worse than assumed, this forecast will be too optimistic,” it said.
Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news.
covid 19 spread
There are 5,894 known cases in the U.S., including 97 deaths, according to
Johns Hopkins University.
The Trump administration wants to send checks to every American in an effort to try to blunt the worst of the economic impact from the coronavirus outbreak — but that might run into problems with Senate Republicans, who are frustrated that they were largely left out of the negotiations on the most recent House-passed bill.
Meanwhile, frontline health workers are running out of protective supplies, and states say they are not getting the help they need from the federal government. The Pentagon says it’s willing to help, but it will only be a temporary solution.
Here’s what you need to know today…
From the White House and Capitol Hill:
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday that the Trump administration wants to send checks to Americans in the next two weeks in order to address the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Mnuchin and Trump said the idea was to get checks to the American public as quickly as possible.Morgan Chalfant and Brett Samuels have more here.
But Mnuchin got pushback when he briefed Republican senators on the idea shortly afterwards. He also heard strong GOP criticism on the possibility of providing tens of billions of dollars to bail out the ailing airline industry.Alex Bolton has the rundown on Mnuchin’s visit to the Senate today.
The Trump administration is expanding telehealth benefits for Medicare users. The option lets seniors, who are most at risk for the coronavirus, get some medical care without leaving their homes. Read Marty Johnson on the move here.
From the frontlines:
Nurses and doctors say they don’t have enough gear to protect themselves from the coronavirus. States have asked the federal government for more supplies but have only received a fraction of their requests. Shortages could endanger health workers on the frontlines of the pandemic and weaken the public health response. Read more from Jessie Hellmann here.
President Trumpis sure to hear more on that issue from nurses when he meets with them Wednesday. Representatives from about a dozen nursing organizations are expected to attend, along with members of the White House’s coronavirus task force, The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reports.
The Pentagon will give 5 million respirator masks to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) but that makes up a small amount of the masks that U.S. is expected to need during the pandemic. There are currently 10.5 million respirators in the National Strategic Stockpile, but the HHS secretary says the U.S. needs at least 100 million. Ellen Mitchell has the full story here.
From the cities and states:
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasiosaid he is considering issuing a “shelter in place” order for all city residents. Six San Francisco-area counties issued a similar order Monday. De Blasio’s move comes as the city tops 800 coronavirus cases. Read more from Marty Johnson here.
The presidential primary will continue as scheduled Tuesday in Arizona, Florida and Illinois, as state officials say they’ve taken the necessary precautions to ensure that voters can safely cast ballots. Officials though are expecting light turnout. One state where it won’t happen? Ohio. Get the rest of the story from Jonathan Easley.
And as for the state to come, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is asking them to not postpone primaries, but instead to make voting safer. More from Jon on the DNC.
From Wall Street:
Stock markets rebounded Tuesday after one of their worst drops in history a day earlier, as President Trump and Congress and Congress advanced economic stimulus plans and the Federal Reserve took actions to shore up the financial system in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The Hill’s Niv Elis has the full story here.
From beyond the U.S.:
The European Union agreed to close external borders to most travelers for at least 30 days to ward off the advancement of the coronavirus. Britain is not participating in the travel ban. Read more from Kaelan Deese.
President Donald Trump offered assurances that the worst of the coronavirus might be over by the end of this month.
The president spoke Tuesday morning from the White House on the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in mass closures of schools, churches, stores and businesses — and he broke with many doctors and scientists to claim the situation might be relatively short.
“Our guidance yesterday urges Americans to take action for 15 days to help stem the outbreak,” Trump said. “So it is a 15-day period. They would say it is a 14-day period. We are asking everyone to work at home if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people. I am making shared sacrifices and temporary changes. We can protect the health of our people, and our economy, because I think our economy will come back very rapidly. So it is 15 days.”
Trump again assured the public the viral outbreak would dissipate, and possibly soon.
“It’s going to pop,” he said. “One day, we’ll be standing, possibly, up here, we’ll say, ‘Well, we won,’ and we’re going to say that. Sure as you’re sitting there, we’re going to say that, and we’re going to win, and I think we’re going to win faster than people think. I hope.”
From licking floors to praying for an inept government: America’s churches react to the coronavirus
By Daniel Schultz, Religion Dispatches @ Raw Story – Commentary
It’s particularly important for churches that continue to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic to follow the guidelines laid out by health experts given that worship services are among the largest regular gatherings in modern society, among the most physically intimate, and likely include the greatest number of vulnerable people. Even single members of large congregations can have a dramatic effect on how coronavirus spreads or doesn’t, as South Korea found out the hard way.
While many aren’t meeting at all or are streaming services, some churches that do meet feel like they need to support those who need it, in worship or otherwise. My mother’s congregation in Madison, Wisconsin elected to close for a week or two, but also voted to continue to allow Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs to continue to meet in their building, at those groups’ discretion.
[The Rev. Graylan Hagler] preached a fiery sermon for the small congregation, denouncing the Trump administration for spending money on a border wall while cutting public health teams that might have otherwise been ready to respond to the pandemic.
“Yes, we will come through the coronavirus! Yes, we will come through the city quarantines,” he avowed. “Yes, we will come through an inept government that can’t handle a real crisis. Yes, we will come through an election season, in victory, I pray … Yes, we will come through all our troubles in hope.”
Other Christians seem less pro-social, let us say. Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, a Tampa Bay televangelist, equated changing habits in an effort to “flatten the course” with weakness, declaring that his congregation wouldn’t adjust their behavior in worship because they weren’t “pansies.”
Right Wing Watch
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@RightWingWatch
Right-wing pastor Rodney Howard-Browne is not about to cancel church or prevent congregants from shaking hands because they are not a bunch of “pansies.”
Others are willing to go some lengths to show they just don’t believe in this whole coronavirus thing:
In Arkansas, the Rev. Josh King met with the pastors of five other churches on Thursday to decide whether to continue holding service. Their religious beliefs told them that meeting in person to worship each Sunday remained an essential part of their faith, and some of their members signed on to Trump’s claims that the media and Democrats were over-blowing the danger posed by the virus.
“One pastor said half of his church is ready to lick the floor, to prove there’s no actual virus,” said King, lead pastor at Second Baptist church in Conway, Ark.
“In your more politically conservative regions, closing is not interpreted as caring for you. It’s interpreted as liberalism, or buying into the hype,” said King, whose church draws about 1,100 worshipers on a typical Sunday.
I’m not sure what’s daffier or more offensive: the notion that God’s supposed demand for adherence to rigid gender roles outweighs protecting vulnerable members of the community, or the idea that coronavirus is just a conspiracy theory cooked up by liberals—never mind the insanity that it’s Christians’ duty to protect a president from political attacks. (On a separate note, floors aren’t particularly known to be COVID-19 transmission agents. They might get plenty of other nasty bugs that way, though.)
Like the Trump administration’s bumbling efforts, these local responses to the current situation relate back to conceptions of truth on some level. On the one hand, while there’s a recognition of the coronavirus’ power, there’s a sense that it’s more important to preach a message of comfort or a word of judgment against the White House.
On the other hand, there’s a denial of the reality, and a desire to demonstrate a counter-power in butch demonstrations of faith in God, or the inscrutable gnosticism of believing it to be nothing more than a liberal plot against God and country—and God and country’s designated representative, Donald Trump.
Religious types aren’t the only offenders, either. Twitter was on fire over the weekend with sightings of young folks partying it up, apparently either in the belief that COVID-19 wouldn’t affect them, or in simple defiance of health experts:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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@AOC
Mar 15, 2020
To everyone in NYC but ESPECIALLY healthy people & people under 40 (bc from what I’m observing that’s who needs to hear this again):
PLEASE stop crowding bars, restaurants, and public spaces right now. Eat your meals at home.
If you are healthy, you could be spreading COVID.
Katie Williams
@realkatiejow
I just went to a crowded Red Robin and I’m 30.
t was delicious, and I took my sweet time eating my meal. Because this is America. And I’ll do what I want.
Killing Grandma to own the libs is a heck of a political stance, to be sure.
Continuing to participate in massive boozefests seems ill-advised at best, downright irresponsible at worst. So does prompting a large congregation essentially to flip public health measures the bird.
Yet I want to hold back at least a bit of judgment. For one thing, the nation has hardly been getting clear signals from the top on how to respond to coronavirus. Sure, there are all kinds of reminders about what to do; but then there’s a president who mutes or undermines every single message his own administration puts out.
very abnormal three years. The craving for some kind of ordinary life is readily apparent across all kinds of social boundaries. However unfortunate their methods, people will fight to maintain homeostasis. My own family went out for dinner on Friday night, and were pleased to do so knowing that in particular service workers will need the money in coming weeks. Tomorrow our son will go to school for one last day, and I’ll keep a coffee date. Life goes on, one way or another.
At the same time, it seems spectacularly incompatible with the declared teachings of most religions to act so recklessly when so many lives are in the balance. So I’d like to propose a variation on Pascal’s famous wager: if you act as though COVID-19 were a real menace and you turn out to be wrong, you’ve lost nothing more than a few handshakes in church. But, if you blow the threat off and it turns out to be much more dangerous than you thought, you’re potentially responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Pascal’s countryman (and NBA star) Rudy Gobert learned this the hard way.
Wouldn’t it be better in the eyes of your fellow citizens and whatever power you believe in to have erred on the side of caution? Or, you know, sure, don’t be a pansy. Go ahead and put the vulnerable at risk to make America great again. Super idea. And to my fellow Christians: St. Peter will no doubt be a big fan of that one at the Pearly Gates.
Why the coronavirus could be the tipping point in reshaping the global economy 1 hour ago on March 18, 2020By Marshall Auerback, Independent Media Institute
The coronavirus has now gone global, and economies are in freefall. The pandemic is clearly the precipitating cause of today’s crisis, but there’s an underlying disease that has been with us for a long time: neoliberal economics. Globalized travel and trade, multinational supply lines, offshoring and overly financialized economies that have prioritized banking interests, cartels and oligarchy above all else have made a large portion of our population highly vulnerable to the effects unleashed by this pandemic.
Policymakers have a tricky task ahead of them. The virus has created a supply shock, as businesses have shut down and workers have been told to stay at home. In response, demand is plunging as a result of the lost income and the corresponding collapse in sales. That’s highly deflationary (as the bond markets are now signaling). What is required is a robust fiscal response so that workers’ incomes are protected and have adequate financial resources to get health care.
Coronavirus is panicking Wall Street — but it’s got investors in Donald Trump’s second biggest creditor terrifiedPublished 8 hours ago on March 17, 2020By David Cay Johnston, DC Report @ Raw Story
Shares of the little, and little known, Ladder Capital (LADR) closed Monday at $8.32 a share, down from $18 less than three weeks ago.
Dow Jones Industrial average. Shares of Trump’s biggest creditor, the large Deutsche Bank, are down 43% in the same period.
— but now it’s an ’emergency’Published 12 hours ago on March 17, 2020By Amanda Marcotte, Salon
For weeks, Donald Trump clearly believed he could lie the coronavirus away. As David Leonhardt of the New York Times carefully chronicled, starting on Jan. 22, Trump began a campaign of falsehoods geared towards tricking Americans — and especially the stock market — into thinking everything was going to be fine, this epidemic was “very well under control,” that “like a miracle” the virus “will disappear” and that anyone who suggested otherwise was participating in a “hoax.” Fox News and other right-wing media, in the endless infinity symbol of conservative lies, both led and followed Trump on this, blanketing red-state America with a steady drumbeat of assertions that the “liberal media” was exaggerating the crisis to hurt Trump.
The country has around 125 confirmed cases, and it’s a bit of a puzzle how the world’s second-most-populous nation, with 1.3 billion people, has seemingly remained unscathed so far.
There could be many more cases in India than have been detected, because of the difficulties of getting tested. But it’s also possible that the country has actually managed to so far escape the worst — either because of quick and strict efforts right from the start, or another mix of factors.
The relative calm has fueled disbelief in some quarters that the virus is even a threat. Over the weekend in Lucknow, one of India’s bigger cities, young people packed into pubs. “I am not scared. I eat, party, sleep,” said Akshay Gupta, an accountant who was bar hopping on Saturday night. “The scare is overhyped.”
■ The European Union has adopted a 30-day ban on non-essential travel to European countries from the rest of the world, starting a stretch of isolation like nothing in modern history outside wartime.
■ After suffering their worst day in decades, stocks bounced back: The S&P 500 rose about 6 percent as Washington policymakers talked up plans to try to cushion the economy.
Coronavirus shut down Sin City, creating a potentially devastating situation for Las Vegas
A couple walks along the nearly empty Las Vegas Strip on Thursday. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
LAS VEGAS — Don Gummerson and Josh “Pepper” Clarke left The Flamingo and sauntered alone down the sidewalk of the Strip, past locked casino doors and outdoor daiquiri machines shrouded in black trash bags, to the only restaurant serving food for a half mile in either direction: McDonald’s. The oil workers from Manitoba were in town for a wedding: Gummerson married Clarke’s stepmother at 11 a.m. Wednesday, the last nuptials at the tropical casino for the foreseeable future, a day after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced a shutdown of all casinos, hotels and “nonessential” businesses in response to the rapidly moving coronavirus pandemic.
As Clarke slung a $7 bottle of Wycliff champagne from his hip to his stubbled lips, Gummerson, in a matching black tuxedo, lamented their lonely journey through an eerily quiet Sin City.
“That’s gonna be our wedding f—— supper,” he said. “McDonald’s.”
The sudden closure of all Nevada casinos was an overreaction, they insisted, drawing an expletive-laced tirade about how they didn’t think Las Vegas would throw in the towel. Clarke was especially upset because he thinks the virus is really affecting only old people: “I don’t believe that this should be happening.”
A worker updates the Fiesta Henderson Hotel & Casino marquee after all casinos were closed in Nevada as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
The men were among the few remaining tourists navigating the Las Vegas Strip as no one has ever seen it: nearly devoid of revelers, gamblers and street hawkers. The governor’s directive, which fell on some deaf ears around the city (including those of an 18-and-over strip club offering drive-by lap dances), became a mandate Friday afternoon. Sisolak announced that police action would be taken as a last course of action against businesses that refused to comply with measures to stem the spread of a virus in a city reliant on the opposite of social distancing.
As casino floors fell silent — many for the first time since their construction — a desert town built on tourist traffic from around the globe boiled with anxiety. In local union headquarters, homeless shelters, around-the-block gun store lines and churches, people of all stripes braced for an uncertain future. It was almost unthinkable, this city up against the only true showstopper it has ever experienced: An insidious virus that was first detected on the other side of the world.
As the coronavirus forced Las Vegas to shutdown, tourists scrambled to head home
After Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) ordered all nonessential businesses to shut down on March 18, tourists in Las Vegas were forced to cut vacations short. (Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)
Traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard has fizzled, and the continuous buzzing and beeping inside the monolithic casinos has given way to the low hum of electricity, whooshing air conditioning and 1990s pop hits played for an audience of security personnel and cleaning staff.
The waters of the spiraling Bellagio fountains lie still, though a few of the hotel marquees remain illuminated at night, painting the sky blue, white and gold on an empty desert soundstage. A few mumbling panhandlers remained seated on Strip sidewalks. Unable or unwilling to seek alternatives in this strange new reality, they held up cardboard signs with marker-scribbled messages to a handful of people in no mood.
“Disabled marine veteran. Homeless. Only God can save us now.”
As a White House news briefing on the coronavirus is broadcast on a television, an employee cleans the back bar inside the now-closed Emerald Island Casino in Henderson, Nev., on Friday. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
Where are the keys?
The shutdown has not just been unpopular with departing tourists, it also has infuriated Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who offered a stern rebuttal to the governor’s decision at a City Council meeting on Wednesday. A shutdown of this magnitude was unprecedented, she said. Neither the events of 9/11 nor the October 2017 mass shooting that took 58 lives at a music festival here had the effect of a 30-day freeze in tourism.
“I know we, and they, cannot survive any total shutdown of the economy for any length of time beyond the immediate week or two,” Goodman said. “Please, governor, we need to be able to live our lives, support our families and, yes, keep Nevada strong, but together.”
She called for an eight- to 10-day shutdown, shorter than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says can be a two-week incubation period for the virus. Goodman’s challenge to Sisolak, which was ignored, divided many Las Vegans as it has many people across the country. What’s better? An economically crippling shutdown long enough to ensure the virus is in the past, or fewer restrictions on everyday life and the risk of widespread infection?
“As someone in the tourism industry, I really liked what Mayor Goodman had to say, for selfish reasons,” said Tim Brooks, owner and general manager of Emerald Island Casino in Henderson. “But I don’t really know what’s realistic. Would I like to be back at work and not have these families suffer? Yes. But at what risk?”
The Emerald Island, a single-story casino with a bar and 24-hour restaurant, is far less reliant on tourism than most casinos in the heart of Las Vegas. Think “Cheers” with slot machines. Late last week, it dawned on Brooks that the front door of his 24-hour casino hadn’t been locked since he opened the place 18 years ago. Where on earth are the keys?Anticipating a shutdown, Brooks called a locksmith on Monday and had a new lock installed. When the news came, he gave last call for the first time ever, at 11:50 p.m.
The next day, his staff went about the unfamiliar business of closing a casino. Slot machines were emptied of cash and wiped down with disinfectant spray. Liquor bottles were capped and keg tap lines blown clear.
Casino porter Geralyn Johnson deep-cleans video poker machines inside the Emerald Island Casino after it closed. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
Owner and general manager Tim Brooks checks a door as he surveys the closed Emerald Island Casino. Brooks had to hire a locksmith, as he has never had to lock the doors in the 18 years he has owned the business. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
A month on the shelf will mean a six-figure loss in revenue, Brooks says, and he’s keeping 20 to 30 essential staff members on board and letting go of more than 130, most of whom trickled into the Island between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday to get educated on unemployment benefits.
“We were humming right along and planning an expansion at the end of the year and to employ 50 more people,” Brooks said. “We’re hoping the state will step up to the plate and ease some of the restrictions for all the people collecting unemployment. What hurts me more than anything is that it’s affecting the livelihood of the people we know and love.”
‘It’s insane right now’
Jose Triana emerged from the front desk of his health clinic Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. to unlock the front door and tell a towering, mohawked man coughing into a blue medical mask that drive-through testing for covid-19 was over.
“I would rather you call tomorrow. It’s insane right now,” said Triana, 29. When the man asked how long he’d have to wait to be tested, Triana’s pain and exhaustion broke through his N95 mask and medical visor. “I don’t know. I really wish we could, I really wish we could. It’s just … I can’t afford it, I can’t afford to pay my staff.”
Sahara Urgent Care and Wellness was one of just a few clinics here offering coronavirus tests, available to people exhibiting symptoms. For three days beginning Monday, employees directed cars through a maze of traffic cones linked with white rope to a spot where technicians waited with nasal swabs. When the results were in, patients waited several hours after they were obtained to be notified if they had tested positive for the virus. Cars circled the block each day, and after more than 700 tests, the clinic limited them to appointment by phone or online.
“We’re not getting the support that we’d like,” Triana said as the man retreated to his parked car, where a woman in a mask waited in the passenger seat. “Our resources have been exhausted. Honestly, everyone that was coming in, they looked bad. We really didn’t turn away anybody.”
Triana said he wasn’t allowed to share how many confirmed cases his clinic has reported to Clark County — which includes Las Vegas and Nevada’s second-largest city, Henderson. According to the Southern Nevada Health District, 126 positive cases of covid-19 were reported in Clark County as of Friday, with two deaths, both being people in their 60s with underlying medical conditions. But the threat of transmission is especially high compared with the rest of the country, experts said, because in the region’s more than 200 casinos, people handle chips, cash, cards, slot machines and touch screens, all in proximity to one another.
Bertha Lopez, of Mexico, wears a face mask as she visits the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign with her family on Thursday. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
Six medical providers at five hospitals who spoke with The Washington Post said each had been inundated with patients seeking tests after exhibiting covid-19 symptoms. Such was the demand at Valley Hospital Medical Center, two nurses said, that security was concentrated in the admissions areas to deal with overflow and assist in screening. That provided an opportunity for badness: Thieves broke into five cars belonging to members of the hospital staff, and they took multiple garage door openers and registrations bearing home addresses, staff members said. The two nurses spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing a hospital rule against unauthorized contact with the media. The Las Vegas Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
“When I first heard about it, I thought, no, that’s gotta be fake news,” said one of the nurses. Then she saw the pictures and spoke with those whose cars were targeted. “We’re just trying to do our jobs and trying to help people, and it feels like there’s no one helping us. It just doesn’t sound real. Who attacks the people trying to help them?”
People wait in line to enter the Briarhawk Firearms and Ammunition store in Las Vegas. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
Four miles away, at the Briarhawk Firearms and Ammunition store, more than 30 people waited in line to purchase guns and/or ammunition when the store opened at noon, mirroring a scene at multiple other gun stores here. Some customers said they were motivated by stories circulating on social media of home invasions. Three cited a specific item they had seen on Snapchat that described a home invasion in nearby Henderson, in which men apparently dressed as utility workers held a family at gunpoint and stole supplies. Many such stories and claims from around the country — many debunked — have been circulating online and on social media for days, stoking fear; the Henderson Police Department said the posting was not deemed credible and has urged people to stop spreading rumors.
Shawna Sanders, one of the first in line when Briarhawk opened at noon Thursday, said she had heard stories of break-ins and seen videos of fights in grocery stores. When she read that someone was stabbed over supplies in another state, she figured the violence was coming to Las Vegas. She moved here four years ago from New Jersey to live with her mother, a decision she has come to regret. The single mother of two worked as a bartender until the shutdown, which caused her to be laid off. On Monday she Googled “guns for women,” then showed up at the Range 702, a local shooting venue, with an idea of which pistols she wanted to try out. She narrowed the options down to two small, light guns — a Glock 40 or a Glock 9 — both in the $400 to $600 range. “I can’t be out here trying to live life with a knife,” she said. “I need real protection.”
Volunteers load boxes of food at an emergency food distribution site in the parking lot of the Palace Station hotel-casino in Las Vegas. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
‘The Twilight Zone’
Representatives from more than 130 nonprofit organizations in southern Nevada joined a United Way conference call Tuesday morning, hosted by Kyle Rahn, 60, the first female president of the United Way of Southern Nevada. Homeless shelters, meal providers, drug and alcohol treatment centers and state and local health and emergency assistance representatives joined in, aiming to take stock of resources and encouraging collaboration. Many anticipate that the shutdown of one of the nation’s largest county’s will put the people on the fringes of Las Vegas’ economy at great risk. Rahn three weeks ago set up an emergency assistance fund for the nonprofits, anticipating a shutdown.
“It’s no longer business as usual,” Rahn told the group. “And it may never be again.”
It’s the kind of work that can’t be done from home, so throughout the week a core group of five women came to the United Way offices every day, diligently washing their hands and maintaining social distancing while organizing a growing network of volunteers and nonprofits re-purposing themselves for a tsunami.
One of the women on the call, Terry Ruth Lindemann, runs Family Promise of Las Vegas, a group that helps newly homeless families find temporary housing in motels and with religious organizations. Lindemann requires visitors to wash their hands upon entry. After that, parents are introduced to case workers and go through the often-painful process of explaining how they got there. Children sprawl on couches and watch Pixar DVDs in the main room; the office is packed with stacked boxes of diapers.
She has been working 13-hour days, answering hundreds of emails. “I’m still not convinced that I’m not a star in an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone,’ ” Lindemann said.
Clark County, she says, typically finishes each school year with about 14,000 children listed as homeless, which she estimates to mean as many as 5,000 families are living in cars or otherwise oscillating between homeless and housed. Family Promise has about 40 families on its caseload, with plans to expand to 100 in 2020 with an operating budget of $700,000 per year, a portion of which is public funds.
Closing the Strip, she says, will create “a lot of need for food banks, for rental assistance, for motel shelter,” she said. “That means that this community is going to have to come together as we never have before, and we are beginning to respond in that way, much in the way they had to for Katrina and Sandy.”
Maintenance workers clean the stairs for a Las Vegas Strip pedestrian overpass. (David Becker/For The Washington Post)
As she spoke, the first housing casualties of the shutdown walked in from the street and parked on the Family Promise couch: A family of five, led by a single mother, who just last week made the pilgrimage from Utah to Las Vegas in search of work.
Two miles east, at the Culinary Workers Union headquarters, the largest union in Las Vegas and arguably the city’s most powerful, workers called in and filled the waiting room, wondering about their paychecks while casinos and hotels sit vacant.
“We’re negotiating that this week with casinos,” said Bethany Khan, director of communications for the culinary union. “For most workers that the culinary union represents, nothing will change. They’ll be paid throughout this. We are demanding that all employers, union and nonunion, pay their employees during the closure.”
While some nonunion casinos did offer compensation for furloughed employees — including notoriously anti-union Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson — most smaller casinos, hotels and small businesses that exist on the periphery of the Strip will not. And with about 40 percent of residents not being members of a union, the impact of a month-long pay freeze will be long-lasting and severe, said Rusty McAllister, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO,
“If you look back at 9/11, we were one of the hardest-hit cities, and it
took the longest for us to come back,” McAllister says. “If people are worried or people have to look at places to cut back, one of the first places they cut back is on their vacation plans. That has an immediate impact on our city. We’re one of the first to feel it and the last to come out of it when something like this happens.”
Hair stylist Hunter Stewart collects her belongings from her work station at The Hair Lounge salon.
For small business owners beyond the reach of the union, but no less reliant on a vibrant Las Vegas Strip, the length of the shutdown and the decisions handed down by the state and federal government may mean the difference between owning a business and not. Lisa Ortiz, owner and operator of The Hair Lounge, says the future of her business is reliant on her hair stylists paying rent at a time when none of them are working.
“If they pay their rent, and we bounce back, I will waive some stuff and try to get everyone on their feet,” she said. “But if they don’t, it may not bounce back. It honestly depends on whether or not this lasts longer than 30 days. Everything’s up in the air right now.”
So she’ll wait. On Thursday evening, Ortiz brought her young son to the shop to meet one of her stylists who needed to pick up supplies. She had spent the week clearing out hair products, intending to sell them via social media at cost, and securing the shop against looters: locking up mirrors and expensive salon equipment. She had seen the home invasion claim on Snapchat, too. And the salon recently experienced a break-in after hours. Tucked in her jean waistband as she buckled her toddler into a car seat was a small loaded pistol.
“It just feels like anything can happen,” she said. “You don’t know what to believe.”
For others, the math ahead of them portended more desperate measures. Walking the aisles of a Cardena’s grocery store, Oscar Ibarra and Judy Luis contemplated what was required to feed their 10-month-old, Catalina, pay rent and feed themselves after both lost their jobs. She was a hostess at the Grand Lux Cafe on the Strip, and he worked for a pool-builder.
“Because of this whole shutdown, the clients don’t want us around right now, because they think someone might have it,” Ibarra said. “I have a little bit saved away, enough for the next few weeks.”
They’ve been buying in bulk, and skipping meals. That should work for four weeks. If the shutdown lasts longer than a month, the family might have to move to Portland, where his mother lives: “Unless they tell us we don’t have to pay rent for the next month, there’s not much else we can do.”
And while some walked grocery store aisles and performed the painful calculus of how long they might last in a Las Vegas without work, the last of the tourists who once propped up the city made their way home.
On the Strip, crossing paths with the hungry Canadian wedding party, Matt Cross and Gio Feusi had carry-ons rolling in tow. They had been asked to leave the Cosmopolitan two nights into a three-night stay that, combined with airfare out of San Francisco, cost just $480 in an economy gripped by the virus.
“We got out of San Francisco because things were shutting down, and it was so cheap to get here,” Cross said. Added Feusi: “We didn’t think Vegas would ever shut down.”
In this, they were not alone.
Inside California’s great lockdown, glimpse America’s stay-at-home future
More than 6 million people in the Bay Area have been ordered to stay home since Tuesday, prompting empty streets, cabin fever, creativity and acts of kindness
San Franciscans enjoy the fresh air and views along a stretch of beach at Crissy Field on Friday. (Photos by Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly a week into an unprecedented health and social experiment, more than 6 million people here are asking: Just how long can one stay at home?
On Monday, San Francisco and five other Bay Area counties were among the first in the nation to officially order residents to stay home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. By penalty of law, going outside is allowed only for certain jobs, food shopping and other “essential” activity.
Life inside low-key lockdown is a battle against boredom, isolation, anxiety and the fear of no end in sight. The region known as the heart of the tech industry is both inventing a new online reality and feeling the strains of economic inequality. As the rest of California and more states issued stay-at-home orders this weekend, the Bay Area’s lesson to the 1 in 5 Americans now affected is: This is harder than you think, but you’ll be surprised at your creativity and the kindness of neighbors.
Tumbleweeds might as well have rolled across the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour Friday, though cooped-up people filled nearby Crissy Field to exercise, mostly keeping a respectful distance. Boarded-up display windows for Christian Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton lined the city’s deserted Union Square shopping district. At 5:40 p.m., just one car was driving down the city’s windy Lombard Street.
TV weatherman Lawrence Karnow from KRON-4 now reports the forecast from a room at home decorated with a few candles and a WiFi router. Inspired by the 2010 World Cup, fourth-grade teacher Tom Culbertson and his 16-year-old son blow vuvuzelas at 6 p.m. every evening to encourage their Palo Alto neighbors to step into the street and say hi.
“We feel like we need to bring some kind of silliness to this as best we can,” Culbertson said.
Everyone is learning the self-quarantine rules.
TOP: Tom Culbertson blows a vuvuzela on Friday to encourage families to join their neighbors on Amarillo Avenue in Palo Alto, Calif. BOTTOM LEFT: Shoppers pick through fresh produce at Weirdly Farmers Market in Oakland, Calif. BOTTOM RIGHT: With help from her roommate, Pilates instructor Carley Henning streams a class from her apartment in San Francisco.
Allowed: walking your dog, ordering takeout food and cocktails, farmers markets, biking, getting gas, using laundromats, and shopping at some liquor stores and medicinal marijuana emporiums.
Not allowed: petting someone else’s dog, dinner parties, going to hair and nail salons, in-person yoga classes, shopping for nonessentials and even throwing Frisbees.
“Look, I don’t make the rules, okay? That’s the department of public health,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in an interview, adding that she would have to do her own hair, too. “I know it’s not in our nature to not be close to one another or interactive or social when we’re around one another. But unfortunately, this is necessary for getting through this and also for saving lives.”
So far, so good, she said. “I’m really proud of this city,” Breed said. “But this is week one. And I’m sure that in the beginning it might be a lot easier. And as time goes on, it’s going to get more challenging for people.”
For the most part, violators aren’t being arrested, although it carries a potential misdemeanor charge. A spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department, Officer Robert Rueca, said enforcement is a “last resort” and the goal is “voluntary compliance.”
Still, cracks appeared as the weekend approached and the weather turned sunny. Some residents were spotted holding picnics, while others reported receiving citations for going to parks. The East Bay Regional Park District said it voided some parking tickets issued Tuesday, and California’s state parks authority said it was not ticketing but was urging people to leave parks “where social distancing cannot be implemented.”
Witness an empty San Francisco under a coronavirus ‘shelter in place’ order
San Jose had to officially order a gun store to shut after lines started building out the door Tuesday. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office advised Tesla to close up shop, issuing a ruling that the electric carmaker is not an “essential business” after chief executive Elon Musk had thousands of employees report to work.
In an interview, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said the Bay Area may have it relatively easy when it comes to compliance, thanks in part to a highly educated population, including many who can continue to draw a paycheck by working at home with a computer.
“And yet even here in the largest city in Silicon Valley, we have this enormous divide with hundreds of thousands of residents facing horrific choices about how they’re going to make ends meet,” he said.
The counties made the drastic decision to force residents to stay at home in an effort to “flatten the curve,” essentially spacing out coronavirus cases so they don’t overwhelm local medical and emergency resources and contribute to rapid community spread. It will take weeks to know whether the measures prove effective. By Sunday, there were 1,468 confirmed cases in California and at least 27 deaths, less than a month after the state reported its first case of community transmission. The Bay Area was the first part of the country to report cases spreading in the community, in Solano and Santa Clara counties.
California Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris said that while necessary to stop the spread of disease, the orders also have the potential to exacerbate depression, anxiety and such chronic health problems as diabetes and high blood pressure. Social connection is vital, she said, particularly for children.
“Whether it’s virtually — phone, text, FaceTime,” she said, “I would say it’s more important than ever for our communities to stay connected.”
While municipalities have published lists of rules, interpreting the orders is happening one household at a time.
Corinne Downey, 41, of Palo Alto, said her 11-year-old son was begging to see friends in person, so she invented a new game: quarantine basketball. Each boy brought his own basketball, which only he was allowed to touch. The kids would sing “social distancing!” whenever they got too close.
Love in the time of coronavirus requires creativity, too. Matthew Cooper, 37, proposed a first date at a park just kicking a soccer ball back-and-forth. “It feels like we can do that from a safe distance,” said Cooper, who lives in Oakland.
The vital organs of urban life still mostly function. Trash largely gets picked up on schedule. Trains are still running, though often empty. Crime reports are down, but officials worry about a potential increase in domestic abuse. Several local jails have released prisoners early, in hopes of reducing the risk of an outbreak. San Francisco has also ceased evictions and issuing parking tickets.
TOP: Kitchen workers take a break outside Nico’s Restaurant in quiet downtown San Francisco. BOTTOM LEFT: San Francisco residents ride an eerily quiet Bay Area Rapid Transit train on Friday. BOTTOM RIGHT: A traveler arrives to a quiet Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.
Some residents are choosing to severely limit their activities to avoid exposure. Kimberley Gilles, 63, of Piedmont, asked on Nextdoor.com for strangers to help with grocery shopping. She got seven responses in about an hour.
Gilles said self-quarantine has left her with a “low-grade melancholy” but given her a new appreciation for community. “One of the things we are all questioning is our ability to control everything,” the high school English teacher said. “I can control kindness. I can do that. But almost everything else is beyond my control.”
Things have gotten especially tricky in “co-living” houses, where young professionals cram together and share the cost of exorbitant Bay Area rents. Melissa Wong, one of 14 roommates in an Oakland home, faced a weighty decision when the house collectively decided to require residents to either socially distance themselves from significant others or stay with their partners during the outbreak. Wong, 32, chose to move in with her boyfriend of a year and a half while still paying $1,650 in rent to keep her bedroom. She said she and her boyfriend had been looking for a “more celebratory context” to live with each other. Fortunately, “it’s been pretty positive,” she said. “We will get our moment to actively choose living together.”
For many, the biggest challenge is passing time while normal life is on hold. Ashleigh Azzari, a 36-year-old manager at Anthropologie in Palo Alto, is still collecting a paycheck but can’t go to work or leave the house, except to walk the dog and grocery shop. She and her husband are trying to conceive, and even fertility treatments have taken a pause. To pass the time, she bought an unlimited annual subscription to Rosetta Stone for $99 to brush up on Italian and learn Japanese. At 6 p.m., she joins a virtual happy hour with co-workers.
She’s also a puzzle enthusiast but has been finishing them too quickly, piecing together a 1,000-piece art deco set in a couple of hours.
By the end of the day, “you can go through all the emotions,” she said. But it’s also been a reminder of what’s important to her. “Like hanging out with my husband. He’s a nice guy. We get along,” she said. “We are all taking a step back from how fast we were moving.”
A worker disinfects an elevator at a BART station in San Francisco.
Other people have had to choose between income and their health. Steve Gregg, 51, of Antioch, drives for Uber and on Friday decided to log off the app because his lungs don’t handle infection well. He’s now reliant on a side gig of writing.
“It went from ‘I can do this’ to ‘this is Russian roulette, I’m not playing it,’” he said, describing dropping off a passenger near a hospital that triggered a panic attack. “I went home and I haven’t driven since.”
Then there are the 28,000 Bay Area residents who have no home in which to quarantine themselves. T.J. Johnston, 53, has been living in the same San Francisco shelter since November, where he sleeps in a room with about 10 sets of bunk beds. “There’s literally another person on top of me,” he said. The city has told shelters to extend their reservations until the end of April. “I tried myself to maintain social distancing,” he said. “It is kind of difficult when you put so many people inside a confined space.”
Some restaurants are shuttering, unable to balance high rents with a decline in customers. Others are finding unexpected ways to adapt. The Los Gatos restaurant Manresa, which boasts three Michelin stars, has closed for dinner and told its hourly employees to sign up for unemployment. But it’s now transformed into a takeout joint, offering a gourmet “family meal to go” for $35 to $59 per head. Friday’s menuincluded Japanese medai a la plancha and seasoned sushi rice along with pineapple upside-down cake.
Ericka Wells was laid off as a waitress from Grand Lake Kitchen in Oakland on Thursday as the restaurant shut down. So the aspiring pastry chef took to Nextdoor to inform her neighbors she was officially open for business. She’s delivering 14 pastry boxes this weekend (she plans to leave them on porches in sealed plastic bags to avoid germs).
Her business, Layers By Xanthe (her middle name), has turned into a bright spot in an otherwise dismal time, she said. “The universe just put a stop button for all of us and told us to reevaluate our lives,” she said.
There are still moments of fear. Walking in the park or on the sidewalk — while technically allowed — prompts many passersby to swerve roughly six feet out of the way. Doctors and nurses keep going to the hospitals, where cases are starting to mount. Coronavirus testing sites have not been made public, in an effort to guard them from an overwhelming crowd.
TOP: Pigeons gather on an otherwise empty street in San Jose. BOTTOM LEFT: Dennis Wishnie and his daughter Lauren Altbaier practice social distancing near the Embarcadero in San Francisco on Friday. BOTTOM RIGHT: A San Francisco postal worker delivers packages.
The stay-at-home order can be especially terrifying for people with families who are feeling sick and can’t get tested. Pat Burtis, 50, a venture capitalist in Corte Madera, was coughing and had a fever of about 102 earlier in the week. He drove to an urgent-care clinic, a walk-in clinic and called his county health department, but he couldn’t get anyone to test him. So he grabbed a couple of extra masks from the hospital and has been isolating himself from his wife and 8-year-old daughter. “When I come downstairs, I am wearing a mask as much as possible and maniacally washing hands and wiping things down,” he said.
Still, there are many silver linings. One is how technology is bringing people together in new ways, from Zoom teleconference happy hours to online play dates for closed schools.
Amanda Deering, director of operations and strategy for Mariposa Kids, an after-school program in San Francisco, sent an email to all the parents in the program with a link to a free Google Hangout, where recreation leaders and a program director host two-hour virtual programs.
During the first session on Monday, there were plenty of kinks to iron out. Kids accidentally muted one another, and the rec leader was even silenced at one point. Things were going more smoothly by the end of the week, when staff members came up with creative ideas to keep kids engaged without just staring at the screen, including exercise classes, coloring contests and scavenger hunts in which kids find an object in their house that begins with a certain letter and then show it to the class. Students can earn “tickets” if they are well-behaved, letting everyone have a chance to speak and participate. When real-life class resumes, the tickets can be redeemed for prizes, like toys and ice cream sundaes.
“What we would like to create for kids is a space where they’re hanging out with friends but they’re also engaged with environment,” Deering, 29, said.
Even religion has found a home online. Cody Harris, 41, a lawyer in Mill Valley, held a virtual Jewish shabbat ceremony on Friday night with 20 other families over Zoom video conference. Attendees lit candles and sang together. “It’s just about being together and trying to bring some order and ritual and tradition into this situation,” he said.
A few people walk the streets of San Francisco on Friday.
Correction: Pat Burtis went to an urgent care clinic and a walk-in clinic to seek testing. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said he went to a hospital emergency room.
Nitasha Tiku contributed to this report. Photography by Melina Mara. Video by James Pace-Cornsilk. Photo editing by Annaliese Nurnberg. Design by Audrey Valbuena.
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