waiting for phase three

I get a call from

my old girlfriend Betty.
she's finally out of rehab.

hey.
she says on the phone.
she sounds happy.

sober and dried out.
perky, even.

what up? she says. let's
roll out
and do

something sometime.
but what about the virus
I ask her.

shouldn't we wait until phase
three?

what virus, she says.
I've been institutionalized
for six months.

haven't heard the news.
what's phase three?
I laugh.

and say well, a lot has gone
down since
you were locked up.

turn on the tv.