The headline in today’s paper
caught my attention, and with interest –
I read through the article.

The case of someone who’s ill
with a dangerous form of tuberculosis
a target of all media people
with its overwhelming implication.

As an international issue to deal with,
a stark landscape of affliction;
being blamed for possible contaminations,
Mr Andrew Speaker, the scapegoat here.

This reminded me of my own experience
as a seminarian in my own land;
I once fell very ill and needed –
a space for complete isolation: a quarantine!
It’s an unforgettable experience for me.

life lived like in abandonment;
its effect on me spilled out over history
being vulnerable and reflective, an agony.

I hate to recall that particular mem’ry
were I felt driven away from my community;
it swelled to two weeks as I was isolated,
with a running sore of pain against them.

But that’s part of what we ought to do
with caution and concern to others who might be in danger;
that sickness, the so-called ‘chicken pox’ knocked me down
a lengthy episode marked with sadness, drenched in anger.

Like profiling passengers in transportation system,
for fear of terrorism who might cause explosion;
it’s same thing when one carries a disease – contagious
there’s a need for isolation or quarantine in procedure.

With today’s world overdosed by all forms of ailments,
there’s urgency or a wake-up call to everybody;
precaution and prevention that give birth to fruition;
a jarring departure for plagues of all seasons.