Janis & Me

Janis & Me 

Going to bed menial

and waking up valuable 

is like becoming a kid again 

on Christmas Eve,

hands shaking

as we pick up the gift

from underneath the tree,

a deep breath in

and the courage 

to open it 

only to see

IT’S THE KEYS TO THE ECONOMY!

To be an essential employee 

during a pandemic outbreak 

is like discovering America

when you were trying 

to find a shortcut to the Indies,

Columbus hadn’t known

what was in his way

would become 

how his name 

is remembered today,

we say COVID-19

like we know 

what the acronym means,

‘CO’ for partnership,

‘VI” for vice,

and ‘D’ for the damning 

effects of the disease,

life becomes a novelty

when the seeds of fear

blow in the wind 

dispersing along the lines

of equal opportunity, 

with a lockdown in place

a walk outside

becomes as adventurous 

as an action movie,

The Rise of Skywalker,

Avengers Endgame,

or John Wick 3,

it’s funny to think that Disney 

owns most of the blockbuster franchises 

and it’s Scrooge McDuck

that earns his interest passively,

but even he 

and a vault of gold coins

couldn’t outrun an invisible enemy.

Is it a disease 

to spend my time writing

when the world doesn’t read?

What about money

and the thought that enough of it 

can provide security?

Do you feel 

stuck on a map

that’s become a maze

while you’ve spent

(using both hands to count)

ten days looking for the key?

Wouldn't it be nice to be Charlie

with his golden ticket

to the Chocolate Factory,

a river of sweets whose difficulty 

isn’t a factor  

if you follow the ancient rule,

pick a side,

left or right,

and follow that mindset

until you arrive,

but the exit 

can’t be found

when the middle 

is blinded by 

what surrounds it,

a labor force that’s become 

a dispensable part of the country,

a people whose income depends 

entirely on the interaction

between you and me,

sight is not a prerequisite for belief,

like Janis Joplin when she sings, 

“Take another little piece.”

But the heart

is at the middle of this labyrinth 

and it’s up to you

to preserve what you can

realizing that 

when you’ve got nothing, 

you’ve got nothing left to lose.