in covid screening
this sniffle or mild sore throat
how do i address

it’s, i seem to think,
not a coronavirus
but a common cold

but i am no doctor
and it just came up this morn
i’m s’posed to stand in

do i go in or not
do i take the risk or not
to me and others

some say yes, some no,
gung ho to go to the show
feelings blind reason

… and economics,
rent, the need too great sometimes:
moral compass damned.

allergies? nothing?
did i scream too much last night?
am I just worn out?

what you would choose here
might inform, but you’re not i
in covid screening

shoes you don’t stand in
life, without consequences
you cannot know mine

so i make a choice
and i cross fingers and toes …
a negative test.

but keep in mind soon
the gamble could also yield
a positive test

Discuss this stand-in haiku in the comments below!