Foot markers

everywhere you go

footprint outlines on floors

the new universal sign of distress

the establishment is on top of it

steps are in place

to see those decals plastered

all over halls and lobbies

makes us feel better

those safety decals

tattooed on our floors

are supposed to be reassuring

yet no one observes the warning

and no one checks on compliance

another example

of how we distance ourselves

we are measured

by our separation from each other

black feet on yellow

kills a fellow

watch for snakes

and Covid.