let us dream
let us imagine
a way out
let those of us who
have lost loved ones
or have survived a bout
with this plague
remain hopeful
in our cloistered cells
let us be like the cave dwellers
who lived entire lives
in fear of dark forces
who nevertheless painted
scenes upon their walls
of hope and desire
let us paint our walls
in like fashion
in thought or in deed
with visions and schemes
and stampeding dreams
of what we desire
let us emblazon our walls
our unblemished walls
with handprints
drenched in brightest red
the primordial cry
of our ancestors
to remind ourselves
that we are thriving
in our own space and time
in this way perhaps
we can reassure ourselves
that we too know the magic
our ancestors knew
that we too know how
to cast a spell
to conjure a world
of brighter days