A convention center in Wuhan, China, converted into a temporary hospital, Feb. 6, 2020.
Reading Brendan’s essay about how things with the weather are speeding up and getting stronger, along with the photo he used showing the beds lining up in a convention center turned hospital in Wuhan, China for the viral epidemic going on, an image flashed into my mind, where I wondered what it would be like to see our Mother Gaia from outside of our atmosphere. What would I see? Then I asked myself, who would “I” be; from whose character should I view our struggling mother? I chose to write from the perspective of a sentient virus. Size and form aren’t relevant; effect is.
Failed Experiment
In my viral cocoon, rolling gently in her grip, I watch her.
Clinical assessment written in final page of the logbook:
Date: 2/7/2020
“Skin abraded in splotches,
Thrush-coated cankers
Blues spawned grey fringes
Large patches of denuded skin
Distressed, with quick shallow respiration
She trembles, consumed with fever
Homeostasis gone a-kilter
She’s gasping her last.”
Why have I done this?
Compelled, with and without reason,
On a mission of total annihilation
Encoded with anti-circles
In a circular home.
Bestower’s failed experiment.
Stowaway riding a missionless satellite
(Cable TV on permanent hiatus.)
Impervious to no atmosphere;
Ready to spring whenever.
A microscopic Trojan Horse,
Rocking to Armageddon’s lullaby.
Brendan is the host of Earthweal’s Open Link Weekend. Brendan says:
Share a poem, short or long, new or old.
Tao Talk 
Mind blown, “A microscopic Trojan Horse, Rocking to Armageddon’s lullaby”, awesome ending.
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🙂 Thank you very much.
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spectacular!
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Gina, thank you.
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my pleasure! a story i won’t easily forget, might I be so bold to say this is worth expanding on and published beyond the blog.
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you never know, maybe so!
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I wait excitedly!
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Oh WOW! Fantastic perspective, and made me see the planet as you describe………….yes, I believe the human experiment has failed. Or maybe some of us forgot their humanity and morphed into something ghoulish. This is one incredible read. Fabulous.
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Sherry, thank you. Glad you connected with it.
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Very well written!
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Thank you, Sadje.
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You’re welcome Li.
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Great writing Lisa as always.
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Thanks, Max 🙂
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Entered anymore contests Lisa?
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No I haven’t. I know it may be difficult to understand but I’m still trying to get over what was chosen — that story ended up winning first prize by the judges! Just found out a few days ago. Once I get it out of my system will try again. Thank you for asking.
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I know Lisa…It would bug me also. You are fighting against the judges likes sometimes and not what is good.
You are good though and just stay true…and it will happen. Good always comes through in the end.
That sounds like a Hallmark card but I mean it.
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❤ Thank You
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And the blood supply, the oceans, how they boil with turmoil, blocked at every turn …
excellent piece.
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Cage, thank you. Shameful what we do to her, that which gave birth to us.
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Yes. It makes me wonder what the value of intelligence is if used to subjugate and condemn all who follow, if any.
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Wow! This is our current situation, expressed graphically. And strange! I posted a link at earthweal in the comment section about a woman for whom only the Gaia image came to my mind. And here I find the mention for the second time.
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You’ll probably be hearing it a lot more. Thinking of Mother Earth as a single, living organism that has a system for maintaining (or not) homeostasis will make more sense as those systems fail.
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This is fantastic, Li! Your story writing skills are amazing. ❤️
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Punam thanks for your kind comment 🙂
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My pleasure. 🙂
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Brilliant poem! Great concept (so wish I’d thought of that), and the description of the patients symptoms is poetic and accurate.
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Thank you for reading and your comment 🙂
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Very thoughtful and powerful idea here — viewing the stricken Earth from the outside — seeing the obvious and revealing what a virus humanity is. Well done. The Earth is heating faster than it ever has in the past, it’s important to remember that the 800 degree hothouse of Venus is a combination to too much carbon in the air and a sudden increase in solar heat some 2 billion years ago. Imagine a major carbon-spewing volcanic eruption or giant solar flare — some natural phenomenon — throwing octane on this human-induced inferno we’re creating. Yikes. – Brendan
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Thank you for your comment, Brendan. I see us poised for something big. I pray it’s a turnaround on the trajectory.
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Totally original and terrifying poem; also one that shows very clearly how alienated humanity is from itself, and from its mother earth, as well as how destruction effects the personal in every way, while itself being totally impersonal. A frightening but enlightening read.
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Hedgewitch, thank you. I was spurred by Brendan’s essay. Yes, humanity has been led so astray by organized religion and unhealthy cultural practices, especially patriarchy and competitiveness, we have lost self-awareness of all you mention. Thank you again for your insightful comment.
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We do seem to be caught inside an incurable disease. Your images are chilling and beautiful.
Don’t be discouraged by rejections. This is wonderful writing. (K)
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K, so good to see you back ❤ Yes, I agree on the incurable disease 😦
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How wonderfully imagined and expressed!
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Rosemary, thank you.
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I really fear that the virus (not the one now, but the one will come) is maybe nature’s solution to get rid of the worst invasive species Gaia has seen…
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Agreed. Whatever it takes. Does it sound terrible to hope it happens? I don’t see any other way, short of a miracle.
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The Trojan horse…we get what we deserve.
And I meant to tell you, that image on the heading of your blog, I swear it looks like my baby tulip tree that the deer ate.
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Thank you for your comment. That tree is a ginkgo. I’m sorry the deer ate your baby tulip tree. They like nibbling on my hosta in summer and on the shrub twigs in winter.
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I see this as a dark premonition of sorts – The Trojan horse rides again and we should definitely be worried about our fate. Our we humans a failed experiment in the greater scheme of the universe.
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