By Jake Cosmos Aller
John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller is a novelist, poet, and former Foreign Service officer having served 27 years with the U.S. State Department in ten countries – Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Korea, India, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Spain, and Thailand. and travelled to 45 countries during his career. He has been writing poetry and fiction all his life and has published his poetry fiction in over 25 literary journals. Jake grew up in Berkeley, California.
The news is still grim was written after watching the morning news perhaps back in April or May when the news was grim. Unfortunately, the news is still grim every day and in fact things have been getting worse. I decided in June that I would be safer staying put in South Korea which has been able to contain the virus much better than in the US which has been a dismal disaster due to inept leadership at the Federal government. the recent revelations that our President knowingly lied to the country about the virus is even more proof of his colossal malfeasance.
The second poem was written to answer the question why so many Americans refuse to wear a mask.