What Rough Beast | Covid-19 Edition | 04 12 20 | Dale Hensarling

Dale Hensarling
Rain

rain thuds upon six-panel windows
a brush of leaf against the outer wall
we sit huddled separately
in the dim lit ‘living’ room

quarantined

fear of sickness
waiting for test results
not talking
social distancing

apart

huddled in sweat-soiled blankets
in awkward silence
worried if we will make it
checking the internet
death counts climbing
pundits with meaningless advice

will we be a number
or will we live

life on covid-hold
rain thuds upon six-panel windows

—Submitted 03/22/2020

Dale Hensarling is an MFA candidate at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. He lives in Greenwood, S.C., with his wife, seven dogs, and a parrot named Pongo.

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