Reading An Anthology of Imagist Poetry today & Richard Adlington has several poems which are entitled “Images” … & are little snippets of love poems. So, trying to flip the idea of a love poem on its head I’ve written one to Coronavirus using Adlington’s layout & structure.

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a series of small love songs to Coronavirus

I

you repeatedly overheat
me — a wheat bag
left too long in an oven

II

so nervous near you
can only cough words
— instead of speak bona fides

III

my throat throbs
— gulps wonder as i
gaze on your venom

IV

utter exhaustion
— fatigue that turns itself
on & off in every cell

V

my chest tightens
doing the simplest tasks
— smiling, whispering your name 

VI

every thought of you
makes my head ache
— conduit of weird electronic surges

VII

now all smell & taste
are gone — i gobble raw
ginger like candy