my home town

by Pat D’Amico

“Kirkland, Wash., becomes epicenter of coronavirus response as cases spread”
—The Washington Post

We’re advised, if we’re sixty plus,
(My friends all agree that means us)
To stay in our homes, hunkered down—
No shopping or nights on the town.
But for travelers, space is a breeze:
Just say, “I’m from Kirkland” and sneeze.