inevitably

 they call you into production where you stand

in the doorway, away from the clusters of unmasked

workers. other maskers keep their distance

but all have to stand close  enough to hear

 what they say, standing on a portable ladder

at the edge of an increasingly machine filled floor. 

there's been renovations here, during the pandemic

moving people around, closer, further, crossing

paths all which way so now 

inevitably they tell you someone here, well

a couple of people have the ronies. only they don't

(at last) make fun of it, they don't 

call it ronies they call it covid. 

so we're going to close down today

and sanitize with this product that's supposed to be good for ninety days

and ya'll come back on tuesday week  and get ready 

to work hard to ship the 1/3 of monthly shipments

we're going to miss during this unfortunate

(and inevitable i mumble into my mask) event. 

but this time, they say,wearing of masks is 

mandatory. any questions? and there's not a one

about how come we gotta wear masks now

not one whiner bout how i can't breathe when 

i have it on, not a peep of protest from 

the unmasked masses

staring intently at the dasher of their delusion,

 speaking to the gathered  unmasked

as every other day, sop at the factory

 who until this very minute 

upheld everyone's

 freedom of choice to infect each other 

or not. and now they gotta live with that.

don't come back if you have symptoms they say

don't come back till you're better. 

should you test. meh, it's up to you.

&&&&&

so i drive home, wash the rona off.

let my honey know that maybe we been

exposed. make an appoitment for the test. 

i hope it's a quick turnaround, results wise.

exposure has always been inevitable

given the vices of living.

i think briefly of getting in touch

with a funeral home and lawyer

and i will. just 

not today.