If you have access to any kind of
news, I’m almost sure that the word “contagion” doesn’t fill your heart with the warmest of feelings. I mean, what’s warm about cruise ships being denied entry to ports
because of fear of coronavirus infection, or about schools and hospitals
having to close because of similar reasons? And let’s not even start talking
about the economy because there might be screaming and hair pulling and worse.
It seems that the
idea of contagion has a direct connection to our panic button. And I think that’s
a good thing in our current situation. A healthy dose of fear might keep us cautious
enough to be mindful of simple behaviors, which go a long way towards prevention—handwashing,
avoiding crowded areas if we can, and figuring out the proper ways to contact our
local infectious disease centers (instead of taking the virus to a crowded
hospital) if we feel the symptoms.
You know what else
can keep a mind from losing itself in a time of crisis? Creativity, and community, and
ink-infused hope. So, dearest poets and storytellers, for our 9th Weekly
Scribblings, I invite us to write new poetry or prose
inspired by the idea of “Contagion”—social contagion, or metaphorical
contagion, or biological contagion... Let your words spread positivity, or caution, or whatever you prefer... the choice is yours. If you go for prose, your
entry should be 369 words or fewer.
Please feed the direct
link to your contribution to Mr. Linky. He will stay hungry for contagion-inspired
prose and poetry until next Wednesday. After you link your offer, do visit
other word lovers (community—especially a healthy one—can’t
exist, if we don’t commune with each other).
Let
us be kind. Stay safe. And be the better kind of human.
