A Global Consciousness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to make its presence felt around the world, many if not most of us are having to deal with mounting pressure, not least in the form of mental health issues as financial constraints pile up along with an incredible number of  C-19 victims; many of the latter will survive, but many others, sadly, will not. Testing times, indeed.

Every death is a tragedy at any time, but worse now as only a very limited number of family members and friends (if any)  are allowed to attend funerals, and none at most cremations. Grief, though, cannot be put on hold, and the word is that we are all in this for the long haul. 

As time passes and social pressures mount, tempers may well fray and it has been suggested that a degree of social unrest is inevitable. To this, I can only emphasise that it is down to each and every one of us to do our very best to keep a lid on things, lead by good example and prevent this awful global crisis from undermining that human spirit in all of us which is capable of rising above and thereby getting the better of even the most heartbreaking situations.  Never easy, in the best of times, and about as tough as it gets in the worst. 

Let's be kind, yes, to ourselves as well as each other?

Several readers have been kind enough to ask how I, personally, am coping. Well, I'm just taking each day as it comes, trying not to lose too many marbles and constantly awarding myself proverbial kicks for memory lapses that result in my misplacing, forgetting and losing things! So far, so good, though, as I have no virus symptoms and suspect (hope) I had the mild version in early January.

Thinking of and rooting for you all here,

Digital hugs all round,

Roger

A GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS 

World falling apart,

or so it feels as we look around

at all but deserted streets;

no folks chatting on corners

or children playing;

shuttered shops, bars, restaurants;

Coronavirus spreading,

World running a gamut of hope and fear

as if at war

Front-line foot soldiers  

doing battle with an invisible enemy,

improperly kitted out,

going way beyond the call of duty;

doctors and nurses

used to looking mortality in the eye

putting their own lives

on the line for want of effective protection

against infection

Nature and humanity

caught unawares, having to improvise

in kitchens and farms,

companies, big and small, taking a fall

yet none so despairing

as on the Home Front, family and friends

grieving, tearful,

while drawing (still) on nature’s inspirational

arts of survival

Societies shutting down, any sense of crashing

tempered only by a gift for positive thinking

Copyright R. N. Taber April 2^nd 2020