“An Open Letter to COVID-19” a poem by Nancy Dillingham

As you might know by now that our featured artist for the summer is Nancy Dillingham. Nancy is both a poet and writer and her work will be featured all summer as part of our Year 2020: A Public Art Project.

“An Open Letter to COVID-19” was part of her first set of 2020 poems and as we near the 200,000 death toll, we share it with you.

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“An Open Letter to COVID-19”

Sly operator

who do you think you are

invading our borders

coming like a thief in the night

upending our lives

sending chills up and down our spines?

Catlike and indiscriminate in your “kills”

you charmed us, harmed us

took our young and old

sullied our livelihood

left us defeated, depleted

isolated, alone

Forewarning: we survived the Great Depression

polio, the Cold War, Vietnam, AIDs and Ebola

so don’t look away and don’t rest easy

our eyes are upon you

One day our spirits will rise

and we will annihilate you