You’ve seen that poem (or quote?) that’s circulating on social media. The one that starts with “The people stayed home...” and paints a picture of people doing art and reading and meditating. Can I tell you how much I hate this fucking poem?

I’m genuinely happy for the lucky folks who are staying home and reading and making art and “listening,” even if the disgust expressed here makes it seem otherwise. But so many are scared shitless right now having lost their jobs, their health care, their savings, and any sense of stability they had been hanging on to pre-COVID-19. Others are stressed the fuck out having to work with the public (shout out to my grocery peeps and food service workers and nurses), or they’re working around the clock trying to save their business from going under or supporting their staff during an extremely stressful time. And it doesn’t end there. A coworker of mine in Santa Cruz will likely have to give birth alone without her partner there. Can you believe that? My heart continues to break. I wish we could all stay home and get paid and have time to rejuvenate and make shit, but god damn so many people have a long, hard road ahead of them and this stupid poem or whatever it is that is being shared over and over just seems to come from an incredibly sheltered and privileged point of view and I hate it.