He came up behind me as I grabbed the door
with the sleeve of my sweater. He had no
mask. He was six inches away from my face.
The notice read “Mask Required for Entry.”
He said, “I don’t give a f*** about that.” I
felt his hot breath and started to tremble,
“Is this my death sentence?”

Simple ignorance
lacks satisfying sufficience
in explaining present existence
when stupid, audacious belligerence
is less of a hindrance
to understanding Americans’ contentiousness
at being conscientious
in following virus safety recommendations.