Socially Transmitted

Without apparent plan, the
Chronically anxious gather for
A check[up/in] and balance;
A lack of direction as [case]
History propels not forward, but
Backwards the state of union.

A retrospection from Spring to Winter--
The faint breeze turned into a wind gust:
An innocuous incentive when celebrated
Abroad; when viewed more closely,
A plaguing peril.

Having caught the fever (the influence
Poorly prognosticated), the many heads
Huddle to stay warm; the angered spirits
Collectively chant with the last breath
Of lost souls.

Attentive spectators or sporting participants,
The body politic shivers at the thought of
This contagion, a variant strain.

Opining powers that be offer percentages
And holistic textbook strategies in the hope
Of minimizing impassioned calamities.