A Fallen Giant

A fallen giant never dies,

Its just another stage of life.

You gave us oxygen.

Now carbon very sudden.

You gave us shade in the summer.

Now its lumber for a shelter.

You housed many vertebrates.

Now you hide many invertebrates.

Birds loved to rest on you.

Now we get to rest with you.

Your leaves kept us from the rain.

Now wood for heat we gain.

Most will never acknowledge what you did.

Still, we need you for our greed.

Dear giant you have fallen.

To some you will never be forgotten.

Your place will allow the sun to shine

And let others plants peacefully dine.

Dear giant you have died.

Your gifts were never denied.

Bored to Oblivion

It was raining over the green city of Mount Vernon, Texas. The pandemic was transitioning from a headache to a migraine. Cafes, theaters, museums and the library were closed. Nothing to do. I looked out the window and decided to go on a walk. Within minutes I found a railroad track. I stood between the tracks and took this beautiful picture. As I stared at the beauty of nature and the parallel beams of steel disappear as they touched the sky, I had forgotten why I was bored in the first place.

Water Balloon Fight

As a kid, I lived in a rather large apartment complex in La Habra, California. Since most of the families were Latinos, there were plenty of kids to play with. About ten of us always hung out in the playground and played basketball, soccer and cops and robbers. My friends always found ways to fight boredom. One hot summer day, one of my friends bought a couple bags with 100 balloons each for a few bucks. The manager of the apartments did not allow the use of water balloons in the property. Even if we cleaned up the mess afterwards. We decided to use them in the local park instead. The best place to fill them up was the bathroom and the water fountain. My friend split all the balloons as even as possible. The teams were chosen. Fill up bases selected. Rules established. The fun began. As the tiny amount of plastic and color expanded with the water, I imagined who I wanted to get first. The sink filled with red, green, blue and yellow water grenades for the ultimate summer battle. I carried as many as I could and left the bathroom with haste. One arm held five or six of them and the other held the one I wanted to use first. When I saw my target, I ran as fast as I could and threw a single water balloon with accuracy and got my friend on the back. Before the water dripped from his back to the ground, he retaliated and chased me with his own water power. The chase cornered me with another of his teammates. They attacked me without mercy. My face, back and chest completely soaked from the battle. I defended myself and used up my ammunition. I ran back to the bathroom for safety and reloaded. I immediately joined the battle once again and threw whatever I could carry to my friends. The heat of the sun kept us form giving up. Our clothes heavy with water slowed us down but the battle could not end until the last balloon was thrown. The concrete was dark like it had received a heavy rain. Our hair combed back with our fingers to remove some of the water adsorbed during the fight. We ended the fight and walked to the nearest convenience store to buy a soda and a bag of chips. Our snacks were victoriously enjoyed against the wall while the sun kept us warm and dried our clothes. Before we returned to our respective apartment, we planned the next water balloon fight.

Humankind versus Coronavirus

2020 is already marked by the coronavirus epidemic. It has infected and killed thousands of people in our planet. This is the perfect time to implement the most important gifts nature has provided for us: our brain and heart. Intellectuals in the field of medicine and biology are the ideal people to find the cure and take care of those who have contracted the virus. We need their expertise to battle and defeat the virus in this biological war. Humankind must be ready to fight the smallest and deadliest enemy we have ever encountered. Casualties are natural. While we try to limit them, it fuels us to attack the virus with aggression. We have an unlimited supply of mindpower and it is the best weapon to defeat it. What about the rest? The reason to live is strengthened by affection, pleasure and romance. Such emotions are only possible with one another. We must help each other to keep this microscopic and malignant enemy from taking away our love and way of life. Help the community by limiting contact while a cure is found. Maintain a high level or personal hygiene to avoid spreading the virus. Call your friends and relatives and make sure they are well and be of assistance if needed. Don't sneeze or cough without covering your mouth. Educate others about the importance of washing hands properly. Don't buy everything in bulk. Leave some for those who really need it. This is not the best time to increase the price of important supplies because nobody should be thinking about profits over a healthy community. If you know a person with financial wealth, urge them to donate whatever they can to help the fight against the virus. If you know someone in with ties to the government, urge them to communicate any updates and allocate the right resources to contain the virus and prevent further expansion. We like to use our phones now more than ever. Use them to communicate healthy hygienic procedures in social media. Post about proper hand-washing procedures. Post uplifting messages to give a little of comfort. Thank those who are helping the people infected and fighting to find a cure. Post whatever necessary to show how much we care and have a heart for compassion and consideration and love.