Getting By

Richard Siken says

—

if the dead are watching

i want them to see us
writing
dancing
singing
painting

i want them to see that
we still reach out
to each other

—

that last line
hits home

being in the middle
of a pandemic
makes me sometimes fear
how it could make us
too comfortable in
not seeing each other
in person anymore
and that
we will be very used to
just getting by
on our own