Untimely death

Untimely death

Scourges fester;
A novel virus roams;
We sequester
In isolated homes—
Clinging to a shibboleth
Or staving off untimely death?
In full retreat
I write this doggerel,
For in the street
A passing jogger’ll
Knock me down,  with his breath,
Bringing on untimely death.
I do confess
My fear is somewhat vague
But stark no less
From reading of the plague
In times of old Queen Beth,
Gruesome and untimely death.
So cooped keep I
And likely cooped I’ll stay,
But not, I cry, 
until my dying day!
N0!  When I go,
It’ll be sublimely,
Nobly, and so
Motherfucking timely.

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2 Comments

  1. Excellent!

    Herewith more doggerel.
    Beware of Yalies with time on their hands!

    Some Doggerel for the Internet
    Terry Benson

    The plague came to town
    (Not just to the gate)
    But skulking around
    And lying in wait
    For two weeks or three
    To silently pass us
    (No need for a flea)
    A pestilent virus.

    With R naught unknown
    And prognosis iffy,
    We shelter at home
    While eating our Skippy,
    And beans and potatoes,
    And chicken with rice,
    And cans of tomatoes.
    (Some take out is nice.)

    Now spring’s in the air
    And sunny skies lure us,
    But we wouldn’t dare
    (Since no one can cure us)
    To take elevators
    Or subways or buses
    And risk ventilators
    (If any were near us).

    * * *

    But we’ve got a magic space
    Huge beyond reason
    A quiet and private place
    Built for all seasons
    With millions of tomes
    And music and videos
    Prose, essays, and poems,
    Memes, wikis, and how-tos.

    Electronic minions
    To find what we like
    Adventure, opinions
    Or whatever might strike
    Us to post or to tweet
    On culture or trends
    And sitting “here” we can meet
    All of our friends!

    ‘Tho trapped by the gloom
    Of the spidery curse
    They are ready to Zoom
    Or play games or converse!
    Work in teams in your jammies
    Or discuss a novel
    (And sext when you please
    From your small wired bubble).

    So raise a small cheer
    To the internet’s nexus.
    Bar the door! Drink your beer –
    Till a vaccine can fix us.