They scheduled routine check-ups, but the doctors were gone. They were tended by interns.

They sent children back to school. Half the teachers were gone.

So it went: at police stations, town halls, colleges, labs—everywhere, those with the most experience to pass on were either sick, or already gone.

Jennifer L. Freed mostly writes poems, which have appeared in various journals and anthologies. Her website is jfreed.weebly.com