March 15

New Jersey goes into strict lock down
I’ve been living on a six-acre farm alone
The family returns home to quarantine
I am relieved of my daily chores
Instead, I take long walks in nature
Bustling country roads are now empty

It is an eerie feeling walking along
The jagged road’s edge, stepping out
To get a good stride on a spring morning
A fox or raccoon has left piles of scat
Before leaping in front of headlights
To dash across the darkened roadway

At first, this emptiness seems a holiday
Foisted upon an unsuspecting populace
When it extends for days into weeks
I grow comfortable with the change
External noise and stimuli focus down
My circle narrows to close surroundings

I go out to the barn and extend the hose
To fill the baby pool with fresh water
Princess goose loves a fresh, clean bath
And the grown gosling stands guard
Against any invasion from the ducks

The Presidential election is electric
Political signs decorate the roadside
The best one reads as truthful humor

Dogs
2020
Because Humans Suck

I nod my head in agreement and
Face the reality of this pandemic
There is nowhere for me to go
No excuses left for not finishing
Quarantine is forcing me to sit still
Right alongside the rest of the world
Singing love songs from balconies

The internet is awash with videos of
Wild animals wandering deserted towns
Delighted to splash in cool fountains
Bears free to pick through fresh trash
Mountain goats strolling cobbled streets
Where crowds of tourists once trampled

The air once again clear in New Delhi
Reveals the forgotten Himalayan peaks

I send the work off to be published, then
Turn to build a Mindful Mandala website
Time to put the proverbial cards on the table
I feel called by consciousness to ante up
Fate waits for no one on a Hero’s journey