half of people paralysed
trying to adjust to a
seemingly “comletely new” situation
“we’ve never had a pandemic before”
might be true
if you only regard the last 90 years
if you disregard all the epidemics
happening where you don’t live
now you call for solidarity
but what kind?
the one that includes
people around you, similar enough to you for you to relate
to show compassion?
what about
caring for others in need
beyond the one’s
who directly influence your well-being
the refugees, the homeless
the ones living in precarious conditions
the ones imprisoned
the ones not fitting into this tightly woven system?
what happens meanwhile:
police pushing hastily made laws
for protection, health and safety
is it the kind of safety that
keeps this capitalist society alive
production and overconsumption blossoming
that keeps a system alive where
people are extremly rich while
the ones that you now call “relevant” are
overworking in underpaid jobs?
i know i’m not alone when i say
this system has lived more that long enough
we have to fight to undo it
even when we’re in quarantine
we cannot be isolated
and yes, i still want a healthcare system
one that functions and appreciates the people working for it
and i still don’t wish death for humans
i agree to the point that
washing your hands might be a good idea
keeping some physical space might be a good idea
but keeping a “social distance” is not
what we need is a social closeness that includes the ones most in need
and we don’t need restrictive laws
and groups of police enforcing them
we need people
who think and judge themselves
having the freedom and feeling the responsibility to do so
who think of others and the whole.
written by m. on 27th march 2020