Living in coronavirus world 26: We lean on each other

4/17

in the Conservatory Garden

In Morningside Park, at the maintenance building, there is a poster thanking the park workers, still on the job, working to keep a place available  for the rest of us to keep our sanity. 

Thank you Morningside Park workers

We leave Morningside and walk to Central Park where we will circle  the Meer and then walk through the Conservatory Garden,. It’s cool, kind of gray and damp. Still nature seems alive. There is a beautiful egret gliding back and forth over the Meer.

the egret

The flowers in the Garden quietly stunning. No traffic on 5th Avenue. No planes or helicopters above. The birds seem relaxed.  We see a red winged black bird which I’ve rarely seen. A man with binoculars is watching a particularly rare heron and describes the other herons and various migration patterns of different birds For a moment, I ponder birds.  The power of instinct and migration, the patterns of flight. Predators  and clever strategies of avoidance and self-preservation. Any part of creation, if you reflect on it, unique, diverse, complex, beautiful, its own form of perfection. All around us. 

She thinks things will be this way for a long time. A very long time.  We are nowhere near prepared to “open back up.”  At first, I thought this push was just ill-informed, or ignorant, unaware of the potential cost. But I’m beginning to understand it's a fully informed position. They know fully well what might happen. And who suffers the most? Black people? Hispanics? People with HIV/AIDS? Homeless? Poor people? People with disabilities? Old people? Yeah? Well, fuck’em.   It’s eugenics, she says. Getting rid of those we don’t want. Who don’t count. Who vote against us.  Eugenics. We’re better off without them. It is a chilling thought.  

Consider: In Louisiana, Afircan-Amercans ae 35% of the population, 70% of the dead.

In Michigan, 14% of the population, 40% of the deaths. A quarter of al Michigan dead are form Detroit. Eugenics.

The President goads on his followers to “liberate Michigan, liberate Minnesota, liberate Virginia…”. I should be beyond being outraged by his behavior, his complete lack of leadership, but he continues to know no bounds.

Strange to ponder in the beauty of the park. 

walking through the park

I take another long look at the flowers once more before we leave.

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I wonder, will my phone Face ID recognize me in my mask?

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For the first time in history, British pubs are closed. Not even in World War II?  Will I ever lift a pint with my friends at the St.James Gate again? Who will be left?

                             

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Our West Park Open Mic brings a smile. Thanks to Berik and his friends, we are joined from Kazakhstan and Portugal and one of the original “3D’s” co-host David, who joins us from Florida.  There’s hip hop and pop and folk. Originals and covers. And for a few hours, in the music,  we feel together and good. 

together in the Open Mic

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The show is over. Everyone has left the room and, I was going say retuned home, but we never left.  I find Cecilia Eve is online. Just came on to see who was around and play a few songs. We’re carrying on a conversation as she plays and sings. Like sitting in a living room and sharing a few songs, Or your favorite bar in the wee hours. Some of her own like ‘Thirty” and “Porqouis.”  And covers like “La Vie en Rose.” And "Angel from Montgomery.”  ( RIP John..) and Lean on me (RIP Bill)….We lean on each other.