It's been said
(and now, so much
repeated)
that the birds
or insects started it.
Incongruous,
unwelcome—
it doesn't care;
it hops the line and
pops up everywhere.
Tough luck, they say;
no escape
form this zombie.
The best you can
do is climb
willingly inside it,
surrender your head,
fill your mouth
with its replicants:
"What's new?"
"How are you?"
None can withstand it.
And it's far too late
to stop it (if you're
reading this,
that's obvious).
In all manners
of speaking, the virus
of utterance
has spread across the planet.
