DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Poem: June 4 2020, by RC McDonald

You rat!

You swine!

You ripped through the tenements in Wuhan
You ran through Mount Royal and Fifth Avenue
As if you had a right to invade
Then you paused in Lynn Valley and later Northwood
Crept in to the unsuspecting, ill-prepared, already-dying
and squeezed the last breaths from their old bodies.
You fiend!

You beast!

You circle the herd in Edmundston,
stalking the weakest
and most vulnerable

You prowl around the GTA like a roaring lion
Seeking whom you can devour.

You hover in the air, landing everywhere.
You scurry along fingertips and jump on to open lips.
You infest, twist, spear, replicate and adhere.

You despicable piece of crap!

Spray, wipe, wash, scrub, rinse, wash some more.

Mask your mouth.

Cover your nose.

Shield your eyes.

No classes, no work, no parties,
No bars, no restaurants, no cafes,
No daycares, no gyms, no casinos,
No concerts, no plays, no symphony,
No sports, no bowling, no bingo,
No meetings, no groups, no church,
No vacations, no camps, no conferences.

Cancelled, closed, postponed
terminated, suspended, delayed, and shutdown.

Be afraid!

Be alert!

Be careful!

Stay safe!

Don’t touch me.
Don’t breathe on me.
Talk to me from the end of the driveway.

Give me daily briefings, on TV and radio,
By email, Twitter and Facebook.
Blast me with the horrific, the incomprehensible and the devastating.

You bloodthirsty devil
Licking your chops.
Slurping the hatred and the sorrow,
Scheming for tomorrow.

YouTube channels broadcast
Children, families, cities,
Regions, nations and continents
Singing ‘The Blessing’ together on Zoom

Virtual meetings bring healing into isolated homes.
Parents teach children while working remotely.
Business owners care for their employees.
Churches drop traditions and share concerns.
Families reunite from long distances apart.

The world shrinks.
We see each other differently.
Rich, poor, famous, unknown
Standing on equal ground.

Icons of sport, entertainment and industry
no longer have the power to command our attention
to the exclusion of the people in our lives.

You detestable demon, we reject you.
We choose love
You slithering snake, we refuse to hate.
We choose love
You inhuman creature, we spurn your invitation.
We choose love

We choose to love our planet.
We choose to love our cities.
We choose to love our families.
We choose to love each other.
We choose Love.