1606—the bubonic plague,

           the Black Death—

           raged unchecked,

  ending life for 25 million people,

            in a world

  without miracle medicine,

          without vaccines,

   closing London theaters

      for fear of contagion.

Yet from this fear

         Came Shakespeare’s

              King Lear,

An aged king driven mad

     By perceived betrayal,

         By loss of power,

    Wandering the heath, 

       Deep in the night,

    Raging at  the storm,

 And ultimately screaming

From the depth of his soul

      “I AM A MAN/

MORE SINNED AGAINST

    THAN SINNING!”

2020—Coronavirus,

       New  plague,

       Killing millions,

Shutting down normalcy

     For fear of contagion,

     And as if an ancient,

         Fictional king

        Has come to life,

 an aged President driven mad

       By perceived betrayal,

           By loss of power,

      Wanders the internet

      Raging at the world,

    Screaming over and over                  And  louder and LOUDER,

  “RIGGED,  A FRAUD

A STOLEN ELECTION,

    I DID NOT LOSE!

    I CAN NOT LOSE!”

    Did Shakespeare know?