Barter Trade

A cop doing detail at a distribution site
Gave her the tip about the extra vaccine doses
Solid, he was a regular at the main liquor store
The one near the old airport, a repeat customer
"He's a real fiend for good booze", she recounted,
Gleeful as she was about the stylish twist in fortune
Call it serendipity, if you'd like, this coup
That in those early months of constrained supply
When most went unprotected no matter how hard they tried
How she managed to trade a boutique bottle of whiskey
For her first jab of the Pfizer vaccine

They've been living their best lives during the pandemic
For, early on, liquor stores were branded as essential
The governor was adamant, the state was open for business
Thus, the flow of alcoholic beverages continued unabated
Heck, they were even expanding, even though it took a bit
At length, the state board issued the required permit
The new store would be opening soon in the posh part of town
An upgrade, no more gentrifying combat zones with their brand of chic

Not a mask in sight throughout all these months
It seemed as if the pandemic was irrelevant
Still, this was a departure, this vaccine development
A marked change from the early days of the lockdown
When we'd heard loud and clear over the fence
Right at the start of The Grand Reopening of Texas
The laughter and the assertion: "There is no virus"

This note is part of a series: In a covidious time.

File under: life, coronavirus, pandemic, humour, culture, observation, perception, Texas, poetry, covidious, toli

Writing log: October 24, 2021