What Rough Beast | 06 21 20 | Ed Meek

Ed Meek
The Crown

This king of viruses wants to thank you
For hosting. We couldn’t have survived
Without your help. We would like
To apologize for spoiling the party
And making you ill, but there’s a price
For everything in this life
And that’s the price you pay
For hosting. Next time
Don’t cage the bats.
Don’t play the pangolin.
Meanwhile, gracias, danke, merci
For the chance to travel
All over the world.

—Submitted on 06/19/2020

Ed Meeks is the author of High Tide (Aubade Publishing, 2020), Luck (Tailwinds Press, 2017), Spy Pond (Prolific Press, 2015), What We Love (1st World Publishing, 2007), and Flying (Edwin Mellen Press, 1992). His poems have appeared in Blue Mountain Review, First Literary Review East, Red Wheelbarrow Review, Constellations, Aurorean, and other journals.

SUBMIT to What Rough Beast via our SUBMITTABLE site.

If you enjoyed today’s poem and you value What Rough Beast, consider making a donation to Indolent Books, a nonprofit poetry press.