We’ve been so busy dealing
With Deaths, Novenas, Resurrections
That I haven’t had a moment to figure out
What exactly I want to say
About Swine Flu here in Mexico.
Since everyone else is saying it all
I guess that’s just fine
That I haven’t had time
To add my two cents.
All the schools are shut down
Public events such as:
Children’s day,
Mothers day,
Cinco de Mayo
The Placita/Tuesday market
Bars and public and government buildings.
The blue masks are here
And gone – you can’t buy them anywhere.
There’s a truck in our neighborhood
With one of those loud speakers
That are so bad you can only pick out
One or two words – One of which is ‘influenza.’
American women in Mega were incensed this week
When they had run out of hand gel cleaner
I suggested they use alcohol
(lots cheaper and available)
To which they replied
“And dry my skin out?”
Let’s think about that one a minute.
Dry hands, or possible death by influenza germs?
Hmmmmmmmm.
I guess that was a little extreme,
But I couldn’t help but say it
And walk away.
As for schools and children’s day being closed
My neighbor Aron says
‘Great! I don’t have to buy a bicycle for Ariel
For Children’s day.’
I am sure this will catch up with him later.
As Ariel is nine now into Karate,
And is finally being allowed out of the house on his own.
We may have a pinata on our street instead.
We are still going to Novenas
For Elvia’s husband, Jesus
Somehow this is more real
Than anything else right now.
Mostly, no one wears the blue mask
But they jokingly stand a few feet back
And pretend handshakes, and laugh.
It’s a welcome relief
To go to these and sing and pray.
I’m even getting good at it now.
Plus I have a lot of new friends because of it,
Which I am enjoying.
It’s a welcome relief to talk with locals
Who are not so obsessed as we Americans.
As for Victoria,
Who is still running the novenas,
She says ‘it’s in God’s hands’
Ni modo – nothing you can do.
Gloria! God will take care of you.
What a relief!
So last night we were in a taxi
Our driver had no mask
I asked him
‘What have you heard on the radio
About the influenza?’
I asked the right question!
Politico, todo politico
To oppress the people
The government is behind it all.
All started by the Chupacabra
The mystical goat like figure
That sucks the blood of animals
He’s never going to wear a mask
It’s stupid!I like this explanation
It’s lots more fun than say
Dying of something you can’t see.
Here’s what National Geographic
Says about the Chupacabra.
Next week,
John is supposed to fly out of Mexico City
We spent three days trying to figure out
If they will shut the borders
Confine him in Mexico
Confine him in the US
Wondering again,
If they will close the borders
Then will I be here, and he there?
At least I’ll have my house,
He’d be stuck in hotels or
Have to fly to California
To go through all that airport stuff
Four times instead of two,
To stay with one of his boys.
I’m going to keep watching for
The mystical, unrealistic, unable to prove
Reasons for why this is happening
And take Victoria’s belief in God,
Divine intervention,
Or the Chupacabra
As good enough answers for now
While I take good care
And wash my hands a lot.