Ceding

by Sandra Kolankiewicz


​I know the nature of viruses is 
to bloom, their seeds eternal once they make
soil of you. I have fields of them within, 
and little clusters that cling to crannies
in my joints and along the sunken curves 
of my bones with the notches anchoring
my sinews. In fact, I followed one whole 
season, went inside on an exclusive
tour with a college-educated guide 
who pointed out the wonder of each shape,
a multitude of them, my eyes become 
microscopes seeing down to electrons
changing hands between membrane envelopes 
and protein coats, nucleic acid all
that matters. I understand now that like 
God they are everywhere at once, stronger
even than bacteria, demonic energy 
which cannot be destroyed, barely controlled.