To recap what we now know: it did not begin
in a laboratory in Wuhan, nor with a pangolin or bat,
but it already lay dormant within us, like a seed
in need of certain conditions to grow;
its symptoms are many and various,
and may include some, or all, of the following:
tear drops, sudden laughter, a feeling of warmth,
and a peculiar uplifting of the heart;
it leaves its traces everywhere: from boxes
left on doorsteps to conversations over fences;
it can be transmitted over vast distances,
through a phone call, or from a smile across a street,
or a certain softness of tone spoken beside
a hospital bed; it affects young and old equally;
there is no race or gender immune from it;
it has the power to topple bad governments;
if one person were to pass it on to just three others
and they, in turn, were to pass it on to three more,
in no time at all, the world would be full of it,
and where, might we ask ourselves, would we be then.
Brian Bilston's Poetry Laboetry 
…… if only.
Thank you for shining a light during these bleak times♥
The best news for us all.
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your Kindness. And for all the other poems you’ve shared.
Beag x
________________________________
Thank you!
great poem. Can I use it in a church newsletter I am producing during the lockdown?
Hi Minnie, thanks very much. Yes, that’s fine by me. Best wishes, Brian
Thanks very much, I will of course put your name and copyright.
Clever and uplifting
(“😊”)
Dear Brian, I too would like to see this wonderful poem in the church magazine of my Church of Scotland church in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It is so beautiful and so true. I think it would help people to read it, especially as Glasgow just went into a partial lockdown again at midnight last night. I would make sure our magazine editor put your name on the poem. My husband was came upon it during an online mindfulness session, so it is definitely reaching people.
Best wishes
Alison
Thanks for your kind words, Alison. Yes, I’d be delighted for you to share it in this way.
Thank you very much, Brian. Our newsletter editor is delighted with it. It has a lovely message for these troubled times.
I’m a bit (!) behind with my reading. And about as low as I’ve been since lockdown started. So this was a joy to come across. Thank you.
Thanks very much, Judi. I hope today is a brighter one for you.