Raj Tawney
The Business End of COVID-19
My wife was laid off on Friday
Her bosses chickened out
Blame the virus, yeah, sure
She’s just a figure, a stat on a spreadsheet, a dollar in the bank
Who lets a valued employee go during a pandemic?
Cowards, that’s who
“It’s business, it’s not personal,” they say
Bullshit. It’s always personal
No remorse, no sympathy
Dumped her via Zoom
Couldn’t even look my wife in her digital eye
Maybe the distance helped them feel nothing,
But I feel my wife’s pain, her sadness, her loss, her fear
Our mortgage is due soon, who’s paying it?
If she gets sick, who’s covering it?
Blame the virus, yeah, sure
Blame each other, too easy
I’m not giving up on her, on us
We’ll get through this tunnel
and come out the other end
Brighter, stronger, wiser, less trustful
More hopeful, I hope
I hope, I hope, I hope
Raj Tawney is an American poet, essayist and journalist. Recent contributions include New York Magazine, The Boston Globe and O, the Oprah Magazine.
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