PESTILENCE
Panic, fear, angst and helplessness
spread like fire around Earth.
I wonder, has earth had enough;
Enough of selfishness, of greed.
With insolence man has poisoned
air, ocean, forests and land.
Our planet has sent warnings,
with little effect so far?
A microscopic microbe arrived,
Became an enemy, hidden and strong.
No radars, weapons or anger help.
Stupefied we stand.
As we fight for survival, I hope,
pray the lesson finally is learnt.
Mother Earth is alive,
We need to live in harmony with her.
Many have spoken out
not least a bright young girl;
Told us truths and facts,
Is it too late?
Can a serious turn save our lives
and that of Earth.
As forests are burning
Oceans choking along with whales
Our air suffocates our lungs and land,
Will we pay heed?
I so wish we would,
Let science and heart go hand in hand
Let love be the light to lead.
© miriam ivarson
My Window 
Real good poem
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Thank you so much for your appreciation.
Miriam
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You are very welcome. I loved the poem and its theme 😊
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You’ve captured the essence of the crisis. I wish this was a different poem – I wish things weren’t so dire, but you wrote truth and that’s what matters.
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Thank you Sharon, your comment is also true. I hope the next poem will
point at the beauty we have. I prefer that myself.
I have been helping people with severe panic and anxiety about this situation.
My voice is small in the whole and I realise that. Still, each one counts.
I agree with you, truth matters. How else can we have trust.
Miriam
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Powerful and hauntingly real.
Like you, I pray we hear and take heed. I pray we are not too late.
Thank you Miriam for speaking truth that brings light into dark times.
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Louise, thank you for this strong and comforting response.
If we do take heed and stand up for our beliefs now there is hope. We must never lose that.
We need to see the light or our spirit dies.
The Title of this poem came as I was turning to sleep and I had to sit up
and write it down. In the morning I “wasn’t allowed breakfast before writing the poem” . So it was written sitting up in bed with my iPad….
Miriam.
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Powerful!!!!
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A warm thank you, Luisa. 😊.
miriam
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❤
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This is a poignant poem and call to action Miriam. I ponder and write on these topics often. It will be interesting to see if enough of us change our behavior to tip the scales toward balance and restoration. Thanks for caring.
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Brad, thank you so much for your appreciative response. As I read your posts regularly I can see why you so recognise the subject in my poem.
I do care very much along with so many.
Let us trust that we find a way to live in harmony with our surroundings.
Bless
Miriam
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I’m glad you can trust. I lean toward hope with a dose of despair.
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Yes, man has proven to be a pestilence.
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Well, Ken, that is so on bigger scales. That sad there is so much goodness too that we can have hope. Thank you for your comment and interest.
miriam
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Powerful poem.
Unfortunately, it usually takes crisis for change. I am hopeful that enough people are finally understanding the truth that we are one world and all are connected. I probably won’t see the good results in the short time I have left on this earth but I do believe younger generations will ultimately benefit from the crisis “we” have created.
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Thank you for your warm and caring comment. You express the hope that people will understand that we are all connected . How true that is and important to understand.
Oddly, just now the air quality in many countries have drastically changed to the positive. That is during 2 months. It proves we can improve a lot.
Miriam
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Powerful and with beautiful insights.
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It makes me happy that you should feel so. Thank you. 🌻
Miriam
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🙂🍃
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You’ve covered the bases and summed it up perfectly–a poetic message that needs sharing!
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Thank you, Bette, for your beautiful response. I am honoured that you
feel so strongly. You are right that these messages need to be told with
clarity – not in anger, with sincerity and truth.
Bless 🤗.
Miriam
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You say it all SO WELL, so poetically. A call to … love and light and compassion and change. ❤
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And you, dear Pam, have got that call so well.
Thank you for that and for your appreciation. 💝
miriam
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I really like the line where “science and heart go hand in hand”. My country is in slow down mode because of Corona. I hope it works according to your ideas.
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Thank you for your comment. I am so glad you liked those lines, we do need
science but without heart and love, science falls dead.
The whole of the world suffers from this virus. Every country. Fear builds
and with that anxiety.
Hope we all learn from this – to many – tragedy.
Miriam
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Maybe this is mother earth trying to teach a lesson. For we are her people and like any good mother she can get angry when provoked… jc
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Thank you Jc, for your interesting response. I do hope we learn that lesson, and quick. I feel Mother Earth has been provoked too far.
May we all be safe and get wise.
miriam
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Realism makes powerful poetry and you have captured the burning issues so well Miriam. I see a streak of positivity too. It is never too late! Well-done dear friend. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Thank you for comment, Balroop. I hope you will always find positivity in
my poems, if not I am losing myself. We are going through a very frightening time which has caused a lot of illnesses through panic and anxiety.
Apart from the obvious of illness and death.
The truth are, we need more care, harmony and love. Without, we cause destruction. I believe we can mend our ways.
I believe ….
miriam
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Miriam, your powerful and profound poem expresses my own thoughts and emotions with wonderful eloquence, directnesss and lyricism! Our poor Earth has taken a hammering and it almost seems to be calling out enough is enough! May love indeed lead us to the light in these most difficult of times! Keep writing and sharing, my friend! We need poetry more now than ever! With much love xx ❤️🦋
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Dear Annika, thank you for this beautiful comment. You give me strength again as I started realise how small one voice is. But many of you share and
see there is hope. As do many voices across the globe.
Yes, our Earth has taken a terrible hammering but it is stronger than us. We humans have to learn and ban harmful behaviour.
Thank you so much for your kind words about the poem too. 😘
Miriam
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Well stated, Miriam. I cannot help but agree. 💜
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Thank you, Bela, I feel warmed by your supportive comment. 🦋💕
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Beautiful and timely. Well done, Miriam!
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Jennifer, thank you for your lovely comment.
I am glad you liked my words and also wish they never needed to be written.
miriam
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I so wish we would,
Let science and heart go hand in hand
Let love be the light to lead.
So very true!
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I am so glad you agreed with those words, Dwight, thank you.
This way we might overcome one day.
Miriam
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Yes!
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A voice crying in the wilderness, perhaps, Miriam. But a critical voice. Not to be silenced. Maybe this time things will get so bad they will get better. Maybe the pendulum will start to swing the other direction. Maybe the darkness before dawn has arrived. We can only hope. But hope we must. And act. –Curt
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A voice in the wilderness … , you are probably right. Joined by many others
they might be heard. Yes, it could be the darkness before dawn, just wish it didn’t come with so much pain and death. Humans can be very blind when it suits the purpose. The price is high.
Like you, I hope.
Thank you, Curt.
Miriam
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This is a very lovely poem, Miriam. It does feel a bit like nature’s revenge.
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Thank you, Robbie, for your kind comment.
If we are fed poison every day, our bodies will react. In our case maybe die.
Same it is for Earth, it reacts and very often in a frightening way.
Question is, do we listen ?
Miriam
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Thank you for this powerful message! Planet Earth is already benefiting from less travel, less human pollution. Will we learn? I’m hoping with you.
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JoAnna, I want to say thank you for your strong appreciation.
You are right, the changes we have made have impacted on the air quality very quickly. We can only hope that lessons have been learnt.
What will be strongest, love and respect for Earth or love of money. 🤗
miriam
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So well composed Miriam, depicting the current scenario. I pray that man heads to nature’s warnings.
Loved the line….let science and heart go hand in hand…..if we follow this , harmony is bound to descend on our planet.
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Thank you for your lovely comment, Radhika. The pain and fear engulfing
the world can’t but wake us all up. Scrabbling to survive, fear and bewilderment takes hold.
Hope mankind learn the lesson … hoping.
miriam
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Amen!
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Let Love lead the way to everything, Miriam. Excellent poem and yes what not has just happened last year that Corono Virus has set in the beginning of the year. We have definitely played havoc with our Mother Earth who knows how she is giving us back.
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Kamal, a warm thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, it would be wonderful if love could lead always. I believe we would see an happy world then. Sadly we have not taken care of our wonderful gift but Earth will heal
again if we learn the lesson from all pain endured.
Miriam
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Yes Miriam I completely agree with your words. Hope we all improve in all our ways and learn to be kind and selfless towards all. Welcome 😊😊😊😊 always
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So much YES to this! Well said, Miriam! And I’m crossing my fingers we have learned something from all this about our role in the earth’s health, but I fear too many will still turn a blind eye.
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Julie, I am not surprised that you say Yes to saving us and nature and create a new place to be, to be happy, content and really alive.
I pray hope will overcome our fear but understand your feeling.
💕
Miriam
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