“Ode To Quarantine” by Howard Christie
Nothing that I’ve ever seen
Nowhere that I’ve ever been
No words that I’d even mean
Can quite describe this quarantine
It feels like I’m defining “green”,
Not blue or yellow, but in between
Not so abnormal, and not routine
All this time in quarantine
Thinking back to being a teen
Parents always intervene Teens only want to be unseen It felt like a kind of quarantine
But this feels different
There’s death in the air
Everyone is quarantined
No one really spared
We’re forced to obey
Told to “do it or die”
The world is watching
There’s no asking “why”
So you stay indoors, fastidiously clean
You load up on carbs and too much caffeine
And indoor life starts to feel quite serene
But life slowly dies in a quarantine
Like pin balls stuck in an old machine
Like too many men in a submarine
Like blood cells engorging a swollen spleen
The claustrophobia of quarantine
So when does it stop ?
When can we leave ?
Will we know when it’s time?
Do we get a reprieve?
Others will tell us
Curves that will show
Flattening, not rising
Permission to go.
So we walk outside and enjoy the air.
And we drink and eat and don’t much care
All of us together, like it always has been
Quarantine? What quarantine?
Another Nice Evening by Howard Christie
Hi Howard, I’m Natalie.
Hi, I nodded. Right off the bat, she seemed much more pleasant than the last woman. I could tell that this would be a nice evening. Man, the last one was not a fun person. I admit I’m not always the easiest to deal with but that was a long night. I’ve been sleeping poorly for the last couple of weeks, even napping during the day, so I am cranky in the evening. Plus, this sore throat feels like it will never end. Natalie is much nicer though and pretty cute too, so this should be a nice evening. It has been a weird two weeks though. My cough is finally gone. Not going into work has changed things I think. Certainly everything is different now, and it’s all a bit hazy, but this, tonight, feels pretty good. I’ve been thinking about work since this is the longest I’ve been away. I never, ever, miss a day of work, not because I love it that much, but I just believe in fulfilling your obligation. Generally I like the people too. I wonder how they are. I haven’t been eating much either, and I can tell it’s had an impact. My stomach just feels that much flatter though I haven’t been able to check it in a mirror. I can just tell. Pretty sure Natalie noticed also. I like that our hands touched when she said hello; sets the tone for the rest of the evening I think. I guess I’ll see how it goes when she comes back from the ladies room. I hope I can sleep better tonight. I’ve been having the weirdest dreams, almost nightmares really. It’s like I’m tied up or I can’t move. Even worse than that, I...Ah here’s Natalie.
Howard, sorry I took so long, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while.
Yeh, she is very nice indeed, so let’s see how the evening goes. Usually I’m pretty good in the conversation department, but I’m not quite myself tonight. She just touched my hand again, so clearly we have a connection. I keep staring at the ceiling for some reason. There’s an odd mark in one of the tiles that I’m fixated on and the ceiling is so white that anything out of the ordinary catches your eye. C’mon Howard, back to Natalie. Concentrate.
Howard...hey Howard...this is Jennifer, she is going to help me suction out your breathing tube. You’ve had it for almost 2 weeks now, but the doctors are hoping to get it out in the morning.
What? Breathing tube? Suction? God I hate this part. Just take it out. I don’t care. Natalie, please, you seem like a really nice nurse. Help me.
All done Howard, now try and get some rest. Big day tomorrow.
And our hands touch. Should be another nice evening.