I have spent a lot of time over the last 18 months, as have many others, trying to protect a vulnerable family member from catching COVID, and become very aware of how NOT to catch something from other human beings, so when I came across this poem, it made me see that contagion isn’t all bad news.
Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realised
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realised its worth.
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
Jez Alborough, The smile, Shake before opening
