Zozobra scrolls on his iphone
over bad news headlines.
It is time to stop self-isolating
and venture out with a mask.

He strips the bedsheet to cover his mouth and nose
and grabs two bungee cords
to wrap around his giant ears.

On the street, he wishes the burnt buildings
were meant for him, to take on the cares of the world.
He hooks up with the BLM protesters
marching for all those who have died in vain:
George, Breonna, Ahmaud….

Zozobra reaches out his red gloved hands
and the people reach back.
Some police stand up to him
behind their shields
but when they see Zozobra leading the thousands,
they pause.

Zozobra kneels on one knee in front of them.
Journalists upload the live feeds and soon protesters
from Minneapolis, Louisville, Albuquerque and Brunswick follow
as they kneel in the face of unnecessary violence.

This time, a few police kneel back
and the world stops.
COVID stopped the world.
Revolution rises with the next stop: the White House.

When #bunkerboy sees Zozobra coming with the
thousands of peaceful protesters,
there will be nowhere to hide.

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Jules Nyquist is the founder of Jules’ Poetry Playhouse, LLC, in  Placitas, NM. She took her MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College, VT. Her book Zozobra Poems is a winner in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards under philosophy.  Zozobra, the giant marionette, was created at his annual Santa Fe festival where he is built to be burned. He embodies gloom and by burning him, we destroy the worries and anxieties of the previous year. In these adventures, Zozobra becomes a father figure, saving the world from gloom and learning new insights about humanity.  Jules Nyquist’s website is www.poetryplayhouse.com