the book of whimsy ✓

two million people

two million people

i'm going to start with a

statistic

because my seventh grade

algebra teacher

taught me that

life

is a numbers game

and if you want people to

listen

you can't always use

words

two million people

twelve months ago

you might've

heard the figure

and thought it was the

number

of that year's

coachella attendees

but i'm willing to bet

that you know

exactly

what i'm talking about

now

two million people

one was already

too many

but now we're

dropping like flies

funny how

everyone looks the same

black, brown, white

when they're

laid to rest

under gravestones

two million people

thirty times that many

survived it

but two million

did not

we've been trapped

in our homes

in our minds

for the last

year or so

i'm losing track of time

i think we all are

two million people

it could've easily been

you

it could've easily been

me

your mother

your aunt

i know i've sent

too many bouquets

too many letters

expressing my

condolences

in such a

short

amount of time

two million people

perhaps they are our

reason

for keeping strong

for holding together

for investing in our families

and spreading our

kindness

beyond the four-walled

cages

that our own homes

were

we made them into

havens

two million people

who will never be forgotten

i'll end with a

statistic

because my

seventh grade

algebra teacher

taught me that

life is a numbers game

and sometimes, people

won't hear you

if you're only using

words

two million people

dead

seven point eight

billon

alive

seven point eight

billion

hearts beating

right as you

read this

we have lost

far too much

in the past

three hundred and

sixty five days

for it not to have

changed us

but as i lay in bed

praying to gods

that i might not even

believe are there

i am hoping

harder than i have

ever hoped

that we will have changed

for the better.