by Sarah Hyser
Tag: Sarah Hyser
by Sarah Hyser
17 Syllables: A Love Story in 50 Haikus
By Sarah Hyser
1. 5.7.5
How can I tell you
in seventeen syllables
what you mean to me?2. Summer
Endless flowing stream–
How could you not be alive?
You make still rocks swim.
3. First Date
“You’re a good kisser.”
I smile against your lips.
“I’m so into you.”
4.
Where is the line break?
I found it. It’s over here.
I can’t find the oth—
5. Faded Lines
She said he’s real cute
and seems like a sweet, smart guy.
Who’s gonna tell her?
6. our planet is burning…
“Save our planet! Now!”
she tweeted from her iPhone.
She’s so ironic.
7. Falling for you
Me, ****ing your ****.
You, looking at me, thinking
Should I return? Nah
8. Untitled because it would give it away.
I know you read these.
Or at least see them. I wish
you’d say you like them.
9. Euphoria
Seeing you smile
makes my pupils dilate.
I guess I’m in love…
10. Puzzles
Two different puzzles.
The images don’t line up
But the pieces fit.
11. Flawless
“Don’t worry, you’re cute.
I don’t even mind your flaws,
(like the way you laugh).”
12. Surprises
I gave you something.
But you don’t like surprises.
That’s sad. I love gifts.
13. -[]’
I made you feel good
On at least two days this week.
I hope that’s enough.
14. Always talking
Bite your tongue, lover,
Or I will demote you to
Former acquaintance.
15. Round Earth
Earth’s not flat. If it
was I would have pushed you off
the edge already.
16. You&YourTree
Eyes of a serpent.
I’ll bite into your apple
while you stab my back.
17. Your birthday.
Sat and drank alone.
Thought of differences between
love, sex, and romance.
18. Distance
It turns out absence
Can’t make the heart grow fonder.
It makes it grow cold.
19. You&I
I’m not inspired.
Not by this. I want to be
swept off my damn feet.
20. Bi-ku
“Bisexual girls”
Is not synonymous with
“Promiscuous girls.”
21. Rolling Waves
Death is imminent.
Life is everlasting wealth.
Mother Earth collapsed.
22. Gloaming
Dusk is setting in
I can’t imagine sleeping
Without you here too.
23.
I miss your warm light.
You’re the sun and I’m the sky.
Now I am the night.
24. Cups
If you drew my soul
Would it look broken or whole?
Half-empty or full?
25. Just thoughts
The constant praise stopped.
I now ponder my purpose.
I question my worth.
26. Goodbye…
I know I should just
quietly forget you but
then my mind lingers…
27. Poets
Why do I write these?
The same reason sad boys Juul.
Sad girls will swoon.
28. My Birthday
There was a time when
you couldn’t wait to be this
age. Well, now you’re here. 🙂
29. Beautiful Girl
Hotter than the sun.
I will conquer life today.
I’m so powerful.
30. Dating myself
I don’t need your love.
I can love myself and I
can feed myself grapes.
31. 5’8”
With legs longer than
your last girl’s career. And she
walks through hell on them.
32. Not your body
Abortion shouldn’t
be debated between men
and men. Period.
33. Why I’m Single.
I am a soft four
with the confidence of a
strong eight and a half
34. Dating myself pt.2
Would you be my muse?
Say no. I am beautiful.
I will be my own.
35. Headed home
Traveling alone.
I am always headed home
each way that I go.
36. things are not going great for me
I know it’s too late
to say this, but I miss him…
Barack Obama.
37. What I learned
It’s not about form
It’s about capturing the
Beauty of the scene.
38. scoop me up
What’s your ideal date?
Let me rephrase: please take me
on your ideal date.
39. Aphrodite
We bloom in the spring.
Do you think of God’s beauty
When you think of me?
40. Whatever (the original)
I want you to know
that I really enjoyed… uh…
whatever that was…
41.Honeysuckle and sunshine
Your lips tasted of
honeysuckle and sunshine.
Your eyes melted me.
42. The heavens
Your mind is so vast.
I wonder if I know you
Just by knowing you.
43. Someone new
Meeting you seemed great.
Now I know meeting you was
serendipitous.
44. March Sun
“Your aura’s yellow.
You’re absolutely glowing.
I can’t look away.”
45. My sweet
The truth is, nothing
will be the same now that you
are part of my life.
46. Healing
You can not fix me.
But you make me feel worthy
Of fixing myself.
47.
I’ll show you your depth.
I’ll meet you in the ocean.
We’ll hit the bottom.
48. a love poem
You make me helpless.
It’s hard to stop kissing you
when we’re together.
49. Resolution
My pain might not end
But I love you for trying.
It makes it hurt less.
50. 5.7.5 pt. 2
I could not tell you
in seventeen syllables
what you mean to me.
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by Sarah Hyser
November 24, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the world, leaving no country untouched. Most states were ill equipped for a biological threat of this magnitude. Unfortunately, the world is just as unprepared for the next pandemic as it was for the COVID-19. Global health officials warn that states have not taken enough precautions to protect against another pandemic. After the COVID -19 epidemic ends, states need to act quickly to permanently mend their healthcare systems. If healthcare around the world is not improved, biological threats will continue to cause widespread destruction.
On October 1, 2020, H. E. Van Ark addressed the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Global Health Security Agenda. She argued that to prevent the next pandemic, states need to break the “Panic-then-forget” cycle. After an outbreak, states initially panic because they do not have the facilities in place to control the problem. During the outbreak, political officials promise that there will be changes made to the healthcare system that protect against another crisis. Finally, when the outbreak ends, states either do not make the necessary improvements to the healthcare system, or they put them in place and remove them later. The global community needs to repair the health system when there are no major outbreaks. It is not possible to solve a pandemic and improve the healthcare system simultaneously. The GHSA warns that the world still has not done enough to prepare for pandemics and following the coronavirus epidemic there will need to be major improvements to the global health system.
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, international organizations warned of the inevitable outbreak of a new disease and urged states to securitize their healthcare systems before the pandemic hit. Most states have ignored this warning. The Global Health Security Index, for example, evaluates 195 countries’ ability to identify and stop biological health risks, the likelihood of an outbreak in their borders, the capability of the healthcare system, and the state’s ability to cooperate with the international community. The GHS Index reports that all countries, even high-income countries, are not prepared for a pandemic, and 75% of countries received “very low” preparedness scores. In 2005, The World Health Organization revised the International Health Regulations (IHRs) to prevent and mitigate the spread of contagious diseases without interfering with trade. According to the CDC, no member of the WHO is in compliance with the IHS regulations. These measures are not promising, but what improvements can be made?
At the Fast Company Innovation Festival in October of 2020, global health experts gave several recommendations regarding what states can do to prevent another pandemic. As a preventative measure, there must be a system to detect the outbreak of a new health crisis that covers the whole world. It is particularly important that states do not overlook their rural populations when creating this system. People living near wilderness have a higher chance of contracting a new zoonotic disease. A zoonotic disease refers to an illness that is transmitted from an animal to a human, and most health crises over the last century have been caused by these kinds of diseases. States must also create more facilities where vaccines can be stored and distributed. Again, it is vital that no community is overlooked when these facilities are implemented.
Adding these new facilities may be less expensive than it seems. The United States would need “only $15-20 million over the next 5-10 years” to securitize the healthcare system. To put this number into perspective, the U.S. military budget is upwards of $700 billion dollars. Experts agree that securitizing healthcare would take both public and private funding, but the cost would remain relatively low. This investment would benefit the U.S. in more ways than one. A more secure healthcare system would protect against natural outbreaks, biological warfare, and bioterrorism, which are security threats that the U.S. has proven itself unprepared to handle.
Following the pandemic, states can take strategic steps to better protect against viral outbreaks. The WHO administers Joint External Evaluations on each country to gauge what health supplies they lack, as well as what they have in excess that can be shared with countries in need. Each state should participate in these evaluations and improve what they can. The Global Health Security Agenda, an organization that increases information sharing, accountability, and sustainable development in the health sectors of all member countries, has committed 100 countries to improving their healthcare systems in strategic ways before 2024. Following the recommendations of health organizations like the WHO and the GHSA is the best way for states to improve their healthcare systems.
Preventing the next pandemic may not be possible, but states can still increase preparedness to mitigate the damage. As of now, there is no reason to believe that the world is better prepared for the next pandemic than it was for the coronavirus. To end the cycle of “Panic-and-Forget,” states must act quickly after the pandemic to securitize their healthcare system. If states promise to meet the International Health Regulations, and other international health standards, it will lessen the chance of another severe outbreak. However, if states choose not to change their behavior, the next pandemic will be equally devastating as the coronavirus.