We Make The Mask

Parody by Melissa Balmain

We Make the Mask
(sorry, Paul Laurence Dunbar)

We make the mask that shields and ties,
Unclear about the hows or whys:
Bandanas work, says Surgeon G,
While others cry, Tomfoolery!
Plus there’s debate regarding plies—

How many layers will paralyze
Those droplets of a certain size,
Yet leave good breathability?
We make the mask

Again, again, as we surmise
Which tips to cherish or despise.
Will all this save us? Or have we
Just saved the craft economy
With fabric, thread and ribbon buys
              To make the mask? ◊

MELISSA BALMAIN is the Editor of Light, a journal of light verse. Her collection Walking in on People is often mistaken by online shoppers for some kind of porn.

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MELISSA BALMAIN is the Editor of Light, a journal of light verse.