Poem written in 1869 by Kathleen O’Mara

To start the month of May thought perhaps we could ponder a little more on our situation but also remember what has happened before. Came across this poem written in 1869, which was reprinted during the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1919, and written by Kathleen O’Mara.

Have we learnt from these wise words below? Will the earth change?

And people stayed at home

And read books

And listened

And they rested

And did exercises

And made art and played

And learned new ways of being

And stopped and listened

More deeply

Someone meditated, someone prayed

Someone met their shadow

And people began to think differently And people healed.

And in the absence of people who

Lived in ignorant ways

Dangerous, meaningless and heartless, The earth also began to heal

And when the danger ended and People found themselves They grieved

for the dead And made new choices And dreamed of new visions And

created new ways of living And completely healed the earth Just as

they were healed.