Today I’m feeling disheartened by news of the new Coronavirus, and its spread (so far mainly) in Asia. I feel for the families who have lost loved ones already. I feel for humanity at large, which has been dealt yet one more nasty blow, and this to begin a new year and decade.

Yes, I know, many won’t get it, many who do will survive, and we are so often inclined to take the stance, “This is not my problem, it doesn’t or won’t affect me”. But my response to this is, “Yes it does”.

I stand back and ask myself: “How civilized are we really?”

How can it be in a civilized world that we are increasingly sick, whether by large-scale viruses or just due to poor diet and personal care? (That is the case even in the richer Western countries.)

How can it be in a civilized world that there is increasing bickering and dissension, every party and camp throwing stones at each other, calling each other liars? Division has been unleashed like a rabid dog, snarling and gnashing its teeth. Coronavirus aside, humanity is being ravaged by a disease called Hate.

How can it be in a civilized word that the Earth who supports and nourishes us is as sick as we are?

The answer is: “It can’t be.”

We are not civilized. The sooner we wake up to that fact and see beyond the delusion, the sooner we can build a truly civilized civilization.

The meter is running, and it’s running faster by the minute. Soon we will not be able to afford our blindness. We are very close to bankrupt.

Photos courtesy James Wheeler, Pexels

Civilized | We are not © Susan L Hart 2020 | Hart Haiku