I'm pretty sure it was the photos of masks
During the Spanish Flu, 1918-1920
Got me reading articles likethis,
Got me thinking about my grandparents
Young adults, lives ahead of them,
New parents during that era,
A never, to my memory, talked about era.
Yet, 675,000 Americans were lost,
20-50 million people, lost.
Were they just too saddened?
Surely they lost friends, family members,
Were they just grateful it ended?
Did they not want to remember the fear?
Yet, it seems to me we need to remember
After the first case in Philly,
Determined to stop the spread,
They outlawed coughing, spitting and sneezing,
Yet, 10 days later,
When things seemed a little better,
Perhaps to buoy public spirits
They hosted a parade for 200,000.
It was a lesson
We all should have learned in school.
5 comments:
It is surprising that they talked so little about it. I wrote about the death of my grandmother's twin brother during the epidemic of 1918 (SOL 21/31). I've always known that's when he died, but it was never talked about very much. He and my grandmother were just seventeen years old then. There will be many hard stories of this time too. I hope we talk about them.
I was just thinking about this the other day- I must have had some relatives who had relatives who experienced the 1918 flu. I like the way you crafted your thought process through the poem. I was especially struck by your transition in sentiment between the third and fourth stanza because lessons learned are so important to remember. You've inspired me to do a little more research. Thank you for your slice!
Very good poem, and so important to remember. I know I heard about the Spanish flu, but it was just three words, no content about that what meant. My parents were babies in 1918-1919. How frightening it must have been for their parents, yet they never ever talked of it either. We must remember to pass on to later generations whatever lessons we have learned.
BTW, in the last line of the second stanza, don't you meant "not" instead of "now"?
You're right, we should've learned about this in school. I had never heard the term "global pandemic" until H1N1 hit about a decade ago.
Perhaps we can teach the next generation better...
Your poem brings up a good point. We all need to learn lessons from this pandemic and not go back to old practices. Your ending allowed me to ponder further.
Post a Comment