half a million

an invisible enemy came
it took the old and the sick and the frail
it took the careless and the powerless
it took those who believed in it
and those who didn't

an invisible enemy came
it could be controlled with strong discipline
it loved our freedom and took advantage of it
it took away so many businesses
it took away our fun

an invisible enemy came
it affected our friends and neighbors
it filled our news with death
it slowed down our travels
it filled our hospitals

vaccines came
loudly announced long before they were ready
approved here and there, one two and three
they saved lives if you could get them
they brought hope

vaccines came
and the ones who love freedom without discipline
protested and told so many, many lies
of deaths and microchips and control
lies funny but leading to death

variants came
they spread more easily and some caused more deaths
for these we gave up and named them by location
some were cured by vaccines, some less so
they filled our news again

we know so much
about DNA, RNA, a few cures and many vaccines
about the people who lived and who loved
about the lives that were lost
who are gone now forever

we know so little
about enjoying freedom while being responsible
about how many have really died of this enemy
about what if we had kept normal lives
about what our efforts have achieved

an invisible enemy came
it tested families saying electronic goodbyes
it tested communities and governments
it tested companies and economies
it tested each one and all of us

an invisible enemy came
we still don't know the future
the numbers are down for now
the enemy is still among us
and so many have died