By Ellie Parker
To the bat man,
I wish I could blame you for this.
Sure, you were the catalyst.
It was your body
that metabolized the chicken
that ate the bat
that ate the corn
that harvested the virus
(or some other serpentine account
of what should have been a meaningless coincidence).
But implicating you
for infecting thousands
is like blaming the planes
for destroying the Twin Towers.
While the catastrophic intention
was not found in the wet market,
(as it was in Iraq),
the effect produced is identical.
Except, Bat Man,
In our case
there is no embrace,
no hand holding or unification,
this time
our country will not come together
in an attempt to fight back against the invasion.
This virus has not only spread it’s microbes,
It has spread us
apart.
You, in your mask,
Us, in ours.
Ensuring that no contact,
however diminutive,
takes place between your victims.
Your body became a host
for a microscopic germ
that has plagued the world,
So too this virus has become a host
for societal bacteria
that should have been eradicated
long ago.
You are the bat man.
Not the superhero,
but just as absurd.