When you were bad and sentenced to your room
when you were a kid
you'd stare at the wall
and sit at the edge of the bed
listening to your brothers
quite possibly having the best summer afternoon
EVER
you forget you could be reading Hardy Boys
or writing the novel you started in the orange duo-tang
or building the royal blue Corvette model you got for Christmas

Instead you wait
paralyzed
for the call of your mother

to come downstairs
           'go join your brothers'

no more physical distancing

That's how this season of Covid
feels like
I'm waiting for the call
that it's been long enough
it's okay to come out