In the last several days
the number of people
who have contracted Ebola
has increased
to more than eight hundred,
and meanwhile, in related news,
in the last several days
the number of people
who are trillionaires
has increased
to more than zero.
I sent my aunt, the doctor,
an article in which the title asked:
“Why are so many young people
getting cancer?”
and by way of reply
my aunt, the doctor, sent me
an article about
the oncogenic potential
of Covid-19.
When they tell you
that Covid was six years ago,
calmly but firmly tell them
that they are right
Covid was six years ago,
but remind them
it was also five years ago,
and four years ago,
and three years ago,
and two years ago,
and one year ago,
and it is also right now.
If, my friend,
as the week begins,
you find yourself feeling
saddened and furious
disappointed and worried,
please understand
that as uncomfortable
as these feelings may be
all of them
are perfectly reasonable
responses
to the state of the world.
The climatologist
told me
the problem
is the climate.
The programmer
told me
the problem
is AI.
The epidemiologist
told me
the problem
is viruses.
The historian
told me
the problem
is ignorance.
This all
tells me
the problem
is we don’t
take care
of each other.
New research finds
“half or more of the gap
in life outcomes
between older and
younger siblings
can be attributed
to pathogens
inadvertently brought home
by older siblings,”
and while we didn’t really need
more reasons
to clean the air in schools,
it’s one more reason.
When you hear it said
that the screwworm
poses a threat
to cattle and to livestock
and to other animals,
please understand
that “other animals”
includes you.
*
A compendium of the 326th week of plague poems…
https://librarianshipwreck.wordpress.com/2026/06/12/plague-poems-the-three-hundred-and-twenty-sixth-week/
Plague Poems – The Three-Hundred-and-Twenty-Sixth Week
As the week begins I look at the news and wonder which of the four horsemen will take the lead this week? And as the week begins I look at the news and wonder how many more than four horsemen are r…
On the topic
of how to stay healthy
during the World Cup
I heard a doctor advise:
keep your vaccinations up to date,
stay home if you are sick,
wear a mask,
and wash your hands;
which is good advice
on how to stay healthy
even when we are not
during the World Cup.
When you see the story
about how the world
now has its first trillionaire,
and when you see the story
about how laboratories
in Congo have run out
of supplies to test for Ebola,
it is important to understand
that in many ways
these are the same story.
As we stood in line
in the heat and the humidity
the woman in sunglasses
looked at me and said:
“you look hot in that mask,”
and though I know
she was referring to the temperature
I couldn’t help but say,
“thanks, but I’m married,”
and luckily she just laughed.
