<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">The Season of Oxymorons</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><i class=""></i></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">In the midst of the pandemic lockdown</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the beautiful spring day sings through the leaves.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Grateful to taste the cream in the milk,</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">I muster the will to let go.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Socially distant. Together apart. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">The Bunny who lays eggs and the Angel of death.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Mask of goodwill. Virgin forest tp.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Wasp nest in my head, picking up the phone.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">I dig into the catacombs of my study, </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">read fictions about longevity.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Wet leaves and dark clouds whisper, <i class="">summer.</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">The virus will rest this summer? Will I?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">The bees keep going back to sleep.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">I put on my armor to grocery shop.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">I haven’t seen the sky this blue in years.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Is there a vaccine for lack of compassion?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Everyday uncertainty’s fresh. In a land </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">of too much, it’s hard to gauge what’s enough. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">The poppies blink, the old aunties.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">People discover birdsong and Crow.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Howling with neighbors I haven’t met yet, and dogs—</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">the only thing that keeps me sane.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- </span>Gwynn O’Gara</div><div class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><br class=""></span></div></div></body></html>