Category Archives: Coronaverse

Calibration of Happiness (HA 73)

Posted on May 29, 2020 by sputterpub

I worked for years with somebody so drab and dull, I wondered how her weekends went. For most the Monday lunches she would blab about her social life: how excellent that picnic felt; this party was a blast. But then … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognition, Coronaverse, Philosophy, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Nextdoor and the Loud Boom (HA 72 Curtal Sonnet)

Posted on May 28, 2020 by sputterpub

When I lived here in 1968, we drove old Volkswagens and ate low-cost. We roomed with dogs and fleas and smoked a lot. Some nights we heard explosive noises, late and loud. We learned the sound of bad exhaust would … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Neighborhood, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Changing Times (HA 71 Magic 9)

Posted on May 27, 2020 by sputterpub

Two months ago, I couldn’t find a roll of toilet paper on a shelf or site. An order of Feridies took a whole three weeks at least to make it to my porch. Supply chain tangles out of my control … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Lies My Country Told Me (HA 70 English Madrigal)

Posted on May 26, 2020 by sputterpub

They said we’re free; we’re great; we’re number one. I watched and felt too doubtful to believe. When I complained, the world called me naive. The war before my birth the allies won, but since I’ve been, too rarely we … Continue reading →

Posted in Civics, Coronaverse, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Overgrown (HA 69 Almost-Pushkin Sonnet)

Posted on May 25, 2020 by sputterpub

I never have liked gardening as much as mother, brother, friends and cousins do. My thumbs are beige; I seem to lack the touch and patience. I prefer to read and view the scene outside my windows. I don’t own … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Flora, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Heroes (HA 68 Bref Double)

Posted on May 24, 2020 by sputterpub

Lance Armstrong fell. Now Elon Musk proclaims his vain stupidity. Ambitious heroes tell us lies. Naive I barely understand. At 9 I told a lie to friends of hula hoop ability. They stared, denial in their eyes, but didn’t kick … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Philosophy, Poetry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Fear and Sadness (HA 67 Decima)

Posted on May 23, 2020 by sputterpub

I watched a loved one hunker down as soon as house arrest began, embracing a pandemic plan in black-and-white (and shades of brown), amassing safety with a frown while reading stats of dire news. His rigid views did not excuse … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Health, Poetry | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Gum Disease in Pandemic (HA 66 Rondel)

Posted on May 22, 2020 by sputterpub

My mouth is hurting more today. I may be forced to make that call. I thought I could hold out till all this house arrest had gone away, ignoring ache until dismay along with swelling isn’t small. My mouth is … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Health, Poetry | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Masked in Class (HA 65 Ottava Rima)

Posted on May 21, 2020 by sputterpub

A catalog of safety tips I heard last week included rules for running schools, prescribing masks full-time. But it occurred to me that face expressions are the tools we use to see if kids absorb a word we say, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Poetry, School | Tagged | Leave a comment

Graduation Party (HA 64 Magic 9)

Posted on May 20, 2020 by sputterpub

I live near college students. Come each fall they take up residence and party some. One year they launched a beer across the wall between us, but they aren’t pests to me. Of course I miss their liveliness – the … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronaverse, Health, Neighborhood, Poetry | Tagged , | Leave a comment