COVID to Billie Joe (with apologies and credit to singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry) It was the sixth of June, another sticky, steamy Delta day I was shoppin’ for some Charmin and Brother was lookin’ for some pay At dinner time we drove back to the house, and oh lands, Mama hollered out the back door, y’all remember to wash your hands And then she says, I got some bad news this mornin’ from Choctaw Ridge ‘Cause Billie Joe McAllister’s low sick at Tallahatchie Bridge Then papa says to mama, as he touched his face and tried not to sneeze Billie Joe’s a sickly boy, never had a lick of immunity; pass the Kleenex, please There’s only five more rolls of toilet paper we’ve got left in the house now And mama said it was a shame about the folks in New York, anyhow Seems like nothin’ ever comes to no good durin’ the COVID anyway And now Billie Joe’s caught it at Tallahatchie Bridge today Next off, Brother said he recollected when he, Cousin Tom, and Billie Joe Poured a Co’ Cola down my back at the midnight picture show And he says wasn’t that me Zoomin’ with Billie Joe after video church last Sunday night? I’ll have another Lysol wipe, please; you know, if I got it right I saw him not mindin’ the social distancin’ last week on Choctaw Ridge And now Billie Joe’s fell out at Tallahatchie Bridge And then mama says to me, child, you lost your appetite? You been coughin’ all mornin’, and you haven’t eaten a single bite That nice young Gov’nor was on the news again today Said he’d be pleased to re-open the schools in August, and oh, by the way Cousin Tom said he heard yesterday a girl that looked a lot like you was up on Choctaw Ridge And she and Billie Joe were talkin’ mighty close at Tallahatchie Bridge Well, a year has come and gone since we heard ‘bout the President election and Uncle Joe And Brother married that ER nurse; they’re sellin’ medical stuff online in Tupelo There was another bunch of the COVID and papa was saved by that breathin’ machine Billie Joe’s not the same and doesn’t want to do much of anything And me - I’m OK now; spendin’ a lot of time daydreamin’ up on Choctaw Ridge Just hopin’ to see Billie Joe feelin’ better again at Tallahatchie Bridge —Philip Merideth, MD, JD Jackson
vol. 61 • no. 6/7 • 2020 177
