Mythos & Marginalia

life notes; flaws and all

j.g. lewis

original content and images ©j.g. lewis

a daily breath...

A thought du jour, my daily breath includes collected and conceived observations, questions of life, fortune cookie philosophies, reminders, messages of peace and simplicity, unsolicited advice, inspirations, quotes and words that got me thinking. They may get you thinking too . . .

pocket poem 2024

                 Current Thoughts

           Open your mouth, let words
   bypass lips. Converse consciously
   to brethren or bystanders.
       Reach out to
   close friends gone amiss.
       Be not afraid, not now, of
   articulating current thoughts and
   accomplishments of which
   you are proud, and even your sins
   (for we have all owned a few)
        might seem far less tragic
         from an altered point of view.
               Give fresh voice
   to insecurities and anxieties hidden
   within your self, speak highly of
      those dusty dreams
            languishing on a shelf.
   Past sullen moments cast a
   lengthy shadow, short-term
   expectations tend to dull down
   long-term possibilities.
      Talk freely around all you want,
   or hope, or desire to be.
      Each intention will resonate
      with those who wholly believe.
   Understanding takes effort.

© 2024 j.g. lewis

April 18th is Poem in Your Pocket Day
a day to celebrate poetry by selecting a poem,
carrying it in your pocket, and sharing with the
friends and strangers who cross your path.
Share a poem wherever the day takes you, as you
would share a smile, a gesture, or your kindness.
Sharing is caring.

April is Poetry Month
take a poem to lunch

cloud songs

        Our paths shift, circumstance and
              attitude shaping our trajectory.
   The company we keep alters both
       our outlook and destination.
           We are where we are
        mainly because of who we are 
                          and whom we are with.

 

04/16/2024                                                                              j.g.l.

Mondays are just young Fridays

A wish for words more delicate and 
refined will only lead to
an unnecessary edit, constrained curiosity,
and a smudge of indifference.
Emotions scoured from the page,
its patina reflective now of a chaotic mind, 
you are no longer (or never have been) 
satisfied with what is there.
Speaking freely, nowhere near the truth, 
a humane reaction may not be soothed.
Not always. No matter what.
No longer plain and simple. Perhaps
it never was?
You question the questions.
The flaws in your self can only add up
to a greater expression of your being.

04/15/2024                                                                                       j.g.l.

 

April is Poetry Month
flaws and all

 

I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.

j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.

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Incomprehensible

Posted on March 13, 2020 by j.g.lewis Leave a comment

I read yesterday — in a Facebook post from someone I respect for the fresh and solidifying presence she brings to my news feed — comments likening the current COVID-19 coronavirus to AIDS.

Fear was the thread running through her opinion piece, and the need compassion was her premise, but in passing on her thoughts she was contributing to the misinformation that perpetuates the spread of unreasonable and incomprehensible actions.

The writer correctly identified that each of us is at risk for coronavirus COVID-19, and further that many of us are scared. But her assumption that we are as scared as those who live (or lived) with HIV or AIDS is as damaging as it is disrespectful.

HIV/AIDS is nothing like COVID-19. The human immunodeficiency virus which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is blood borne while COVID-19 is airborne.

HIV is an infection caused by contact with blood, pre-ejaculate semen and vaginal fluids. Coronavirus spreads in a manner similar to influenza; by respiratory droplets from coughing settling on skin, office building doorknobs and subway straps.

You can get the coronavirus from a handshake. It can take a more intimate (and perhaps careless) encounter to become infected with HIV.

Of course my explanation is an over-simplification, but the reality is there. In the 80s this woman refers to in her Facebook post, HIV was surely a death sentence. Coronavirus, in 2020, is not even close. Yes, the global death rate increases daily, but COVID-19 is a virus you can recover from. In fact, many of the original cases of the coronavirus we currently fear have since recovered from the infection.

Yes we need compassion, as this woman clearly states, but we also need sound minds to prevail. We need to wash our hands. We need to isolate ourselves if we are feeling poorly. We need to keep our distance from people, and we need to follow sound advice from medical professionals

What we don’t need is loose talk, which will further confuse an already concerned population. Misinformation breeds fear, and there is already too much of that going around; both fear and misinformation.

03/13/2020                                           j.g.l.

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