By Jeanne Sirotkin

The seas are churning

Smoke and fire everywhere

the pandemic has no end in sight

a little girl asks her Daddy –

“Is this how the dinosaurs died?”

I want to hug her but can’t –

social distancing.

 

Hordes of mosquitoes descend

on cattle, horses and dogs

killing with relentless stings

does anyone have that one

on their apocalypse bingo card

upper right corner away from

fire hurricane and disease.

 

Hundreds of thousands of birds

drop dead out of New Mexico sky

no one has that covered

except the people who have

seen it rain frogs and snakes

or walked thru a forest of knives

or swum thru boiling seas.

 

Eastern Equine encephalitis

plagues seven Michigan counties

they are spraying the streets

“remain inside after dusk”

the emergency alert blares

no square for this one either.

 

My brain spins 360 degrees

I smile and hum while it knocks

against my skull

I breathe deep and close my eyes

when I open them

they become windows

I see the trees nodding

they have seen this all before

they tell me

They believe in patience and

taking root and standing tall.

 

An old beech in the forest grows healthy

It refuses to succumb

to beech bark disease

I put my arms around it

as far as I can reach

It gives me what I need

I cover the middle square labeled survival

and dance

“Bingo, Bingo, Bingo” I sing.