Clean Enough
holding water
in hands
that have enough trouble
holding on
somedays
<>
hands washed more & more
with the harsh soap of fear
what did I touch last
who did I touch last
who did they touch last
when did they
last wash their hands
<>
can we make a quick stop
at the sanitizer station
you cannot hold
the water
with those hands
until they have been
approved
by the state
that holds us all hostage
to their needs
and our fears
of not being clean enough
to meet
the approval of cameras
<>
cameras set up over every sink
every sanitizing stations
these hands
cannot hold enough sanitizer
to make the risk of touching
worth while
Perhaps you can tell this was written during the thick of the pandemic here in Toronto. Hand sanitizers stations had shown up in the subway, at the entrance to stores, bottles of it were on restaurant tables, in washrooms, people carried sanitizer in their cars, purses, knapsacks. Elbows touching took the place of handshakes. Hugging was forbidden. Everyone was a threat. ‘Don’t breathe in my direction.’
I didn’t resist the various restrictions on masking, social distancing. I didn’t my rights as an individual were being compromised by these in anyway. Sides were drawn though & you know, the truth is, I didn’t contract covid. I know many did, many died. I still mask when shopping, when travelling on transit & going to live theatre.
In this piece I push the paranoia a little further than it went, at least here in Canada. Cameras were not setup to make sure we were using those sanitizers, I don’t think anyone was arrested or even fined for being unmasked or for standing too close together. I know in other nations this was happening. There was lots of lots of griping, protests, but such is life. The government can’t make everyone happy.
The economy dipped, air quality improved, life went on, for the survivors. Interesting discoveries were made – remote working works well; investing in pharmaceutical companies is more secure than investing in gold. We may even be ready for the next deadly virus wave, & there will be one.
TOpoet 
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