COVID did wipe out humanity in the end
That beautiful spark we treasured dearly
That bright minority of moments when humans were kind and selfless
The shining slivers of solidarity
Those precious stones we clung to
So we could love the world
COVID destroyed us in the end
The hope we held like branches
Swinging our primate selves
From branch to branch
Movement to movement
Moment to moment
Surely this time is the crescendo
Momentum building to a better world
People will be good again
The smallest will grow
The planet will heal
The whole forest burned down instead
Another world is not possible
All we have is the world we live in
If you listen closely, you’ll hear breathing
That is you, alive, still, despite it all
And that is all you have
I hope, at least, there still is love
Among a few small people
Masked—in a small little room
That soon will be no longer
If the world is not for us
I hope at least we’ll be alive
Tomorrow
And again
Tomorrow after that