They ask her if this is the end,
Armageddon, Ragnarok—is Jesus
Going to come sort this. Can it get
Worse. Winston Smith knew
Dystopia is not drama but grind,
The constant scrape of fear.
We’ve tried dramatic speeches
(Appalling, sublime); it’s time
To get on with the slow business
Of building, growing from seed,
Rejecting the martyr for the maker.
—July 31, 2020