On most days at 3,

I step out my front door

To do my duty.

My little dogs go ahead.

They know the usual way.

We turn left, then left

At the Summer Street signpost.

Down to the white house.

Tip our hats to our friend Pearl.

The lady who smokes outside.

Pandemic days come

And turn the world upside down.

Pearl stays inside now.

The Summer Street sign is gone,

Inexplicably just gone.

And so I turned right,

Yesterday instead of left.

I went to the park.

Empty space. Social distance.

It’s a new experience.