For the collection: 'Life in the time of #COVID'
Disease. I know exactly who you are.
The first time we talked, I was hiding in my room, afraid my mother would discover I'd stolen cookies from the jar.
You were there when the bombs were falling out of the sky in whatever war that was, the one where they were scared to keep the house lights on after dark.
It was you keeping that single mom company on her way home from work at Burger King, when she heard voices coming from that dark alley.
It was you when some guy tried his best to jump that fence hoping for a better life, and figuring getting shot wasn't the worst outcome.
You're not a biological disease. You're worse than that. And you've killed more people than anyone could ever count.
I know exactly how you transmit. It's through the eyes. One of them looks scared, and the next one is infected. You've been getting away with this for years.
Your name is Fear. And I'm gonna walk right through you.
JP Lorence is a spoken word artist and published science fiction writer living in Vancouver, Canada. Previously, he has been published by 'New Lit Salon', 'Off Topic Press', and 'Grey Borders', along with a few others.