Everyone is fighting all the time
We the United States are number one
in fighting and being assholes
We fight with our allies, 
with our enemies,
with countries that never imagined
we would want to annex them

This is a symptom
this is the dark underside of individualism
of the very very strong male
who leads with testosterone
dick first

This is a symptom
of fear. Under all the posturing
the bravado, the yelling and accusations
lies fear. Deep deep fear 
down to to the deepest trench
in the ocean

This is a symptom
of fear. Fear that stretches out 
into the universe,
as big as the universe,
fear of what?

Fear of Covid-19
of infection, of death.

Aren't we over that?
No. We are still very very frightened,
our adrenaline is up,
our cortisol is up,
our thyroid is down,
and our sex hormones are down.

We are still very very frightened,
wired all the time
get infections more often
tired from low thyroid
and we don't or can't do sex.

We barely remember
the influenza that swept the world
1918 to 1921
bodies stacked 5 deep under sheets
in the hallways of hospitals
in San Francisco

A Pacific Island
lost 80% of the adults
to death

We are fighting fear
fighting each other
fighting ourselves
rattling our sabres
shouting insults

all to hide

our deep 
deep
fear.