And so it spreads
They live too far into the bush
far from civilization as we know it
and
Who knows what they come in contact with?
What animals carry the disease?
And so it spreads.
No hospitals to care for them
they have too unsanitary
prevent inevitable contamination
so it spreads.
Here, in a different world,
animals are kept behind bars
prisoners and even the trees
their place, here,
only learn of their plight
entire villages have perished
with dirty, infected blood
someone stumbles upon the dead.
Then we suit take samples, bag and tag
if they lived on another planet
air we can’t breathe
dirt we can’t touch.
We fly home, study the virus,
it safely on ice like our mixed drinks
martinis, our cocktails, hidden in the fridge
we wait for it to strike again
there
