I.
With covid upon us, my weight spikes like virus cases in the U.S., but sometimes I wake up early enough to take walks

With covid, I do switch to the opposite side of the street if I see you coming my way, mask or not

With covid, I sometimes will watch a bus go by as I walk, and I realize that the driver must be as brave as first responders

With covid, many folks risk their lives to make ends meet

Although with covid, our economy sucks

And nothing is really changing to adapt for future, similar challenges, such as another global pandemic

Meanwhile, with covid, even being a consumer can be as sketchy as being in an ER, such as if you make an unnecessary run to the bookstore or go to the salon to get your nails done

II.
With covid, I live from home and work from home

With covid, I commute from my desk to my bed and back

With covid, my friend and I went out to eat in masks, scanned a QR code at the restaurant’s front desk to access the menu, paid and tipped the waitress via Web when we were done, then air-hugged before returning to our respective lockdown locations

With covid, my bedroom window takes my mind off the four walls

With covid, my car sits in the driveway except for a weekly trip to the local grocery store

With covid, it costs me hundreds of dollars in loan and insurance payments each month to have my car sit in my driveway 6 days a week

With covid, the triple digit heat of Las Vegas is even more intolerable with my face coverings

But with masks due to covid, at least you don’t have to smile