CAPTAIN RON PICKETT - WHEN I KNEW IT WAS OVER

Captain Ron Pickett is a retired naval aviator with over 250 combat missions and 500 carrier landings. He was the commanding officer of an aircraft squadron and a Human Resource Management Center. His 90-plus articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications. His areas of specialization include Leadership and Management development, and customer relations among others. He enjoys writing fiction and has published five books: Perfect Crimes – I Got Away With It, Discovering Roots, Getting Published, 60 Odd Short Stories, and Empaths. He was the coleader of the Veterans’ Writing Group for nine years and was the lead editor and designer for the three books, Away For The Holidays, Listen Up! Things I learned From the Military, Stories That Must Be Told, and advisor for At Ease: Now That I Have Time to Think About It recently published by the Veterans’ Writing Group of North County.

​When I Knew It Was Over.

​No, I’m not talking about a relationship,
I’m not talking about the end of the world or even a movie.
I’m not talking about Trump or riots or racism.
I’m not talking about dessert or dinner or a nap.
I’m not even talking about a book or story or football game.
It was simple, a young woman in the Garden store,
In the checkout area, she was down on her hands and knees,
With a scraper, taking up the social distancing tape.  
I took her picture – she objected. I didn’t care this was history in the making.
This goes into my Kennedy assassination memory drawer, my first solo, birth of my first child. And others that I can bring up to re-savor.
I thought this tape should be collected and turned into a monument, a painting.
Sold in gift shops, saved for children and grandchildren, placed in time capsule.
Like pieces of the Berlin Wall or bits of dust from the moon – if we really went there.
I’ve had the virus – no I don’t know how I got it – I certainly didn’t go out to try to get a natural immunity.
I was fatigued, had no appetite – no I didn’t lose my senses of taste or smell.
Didn’t have much of a fever if any at all.
Did have trouble with my balance and I did have visual hallucinations.
They, the hallucinations were fun. Entertaining and I‘m glad I knew what they were.
Like to be able to turn them on and off – but I don’t think the substances to do that are on the shelves at CVS.
I’ve had the vaccine, both shots, Pfizer, I have the card in my wallet.
I’m a walking test site but I’m too old to donate my hard-won antibodies and t-cells.
I am collecting masking tape, let me know if you have some.
There is plenty of off-white and blue. I need some red and yellow to produce a vital, reminiscent reminder of the “Winter of darkness.”
Oh, it’s going to have a mask, D3 incorporated into the design.
I’m aiming for MOMA.