THE STRANGLER

The seasons are changing 
And so is the weather 
Just when I was getting use to 
Strolling in the park
Or sitting on my stoop after dark 

You know..
Just watching folks pass by 
Now I must do it from inside
For the enemy is in the air 
Unseen by the eyes 

But there is no doubt of his presence 
After many of our love-ones 
Suddenly gets sick and die

A few weeks ago the tree stood tall 
A slam dunk was no problem at all
Sweat dripping from his brow
Making three pointers and dazzling the crowd 

Skid marks from his boots redecorating the court
His seven feet frame taking to the air 
Like dolphins laughing at the waves 

Then came the storm
Something out of the norm
Coronavirus by name riding like a king
Upon the wind

His grasp the grip of death
He suffocates his victims 
By repossessing ones breath 

And so he claimed the life of a friend 
His seventeen years of life in an instant 
Comes to an abrupt end.

Wilford Barker.