Virus IV

A man who didn't know his name waited in line

The rain soaked his rust coloured cap. Ran along his old overcoat

When the rain became a drizzle he still felt weakness in his veins

Soon the line would move slowly, 

when the church would feed morning coffee and bread to the viral young

Afflicted by a mystery disease that had come with the summer sun

A fever that never runs down, a cough that pains the lungs

Some had died, 

None could recall their names

Only the sense, the outline of a story that was

The nothing man tried to remember her name

He was to marry her, 

On his birthday she gave him a cap, the autumn colour matched his coat

It kept him warm on homeless nights

Kept him dry from the rain

Slowly the line began to move

Men coughed and dragged their feet, none could remember

An empty bus came

The team wore masks and lifted the sidewalk dying and dead onto the empty seats

Some lain on the floor

He sensed the summer garden, when they were together, when he asked her for her hand

Slowly the line began to move, drizzle came from the rain

The summer garden,  

He coughed, felt weakness

He saw in the distance a young woman in kindness give coffee and bread to nothing men

He wanted to see her face, he wanted to know her name

The man dreamed of the summer garden where he felt oneness and touched nature's hand