My Pursuit of a Normal Life

After my Pfizer shots, I make a reservation
to swim at six in the mornings at the Y

then head to Philly’s Barnes Foundation
step into the museum after a year’s absence

excited to mingle with adults and children
but speechless in front of Soutine and de Kooning

With liquefied brushstrokes de Kooning painted
Women, flat and fleshy like landscapes

and Soutine’s life size, bloody cow carcass
makes children hide behind their parents

The vaccine is the key to open the cage door
and many things outside are enticing

But most restaurants are still closed
And they are shooting Asians

Vida Chu lives in Princeton. Her poems have been published in US 1 Newspaper, Kelsey Review, Paterson Review, and others. Her two books of poems, The Fragrant Harbor and The Thirteenth Lake are published by Kelsey Books.