An Immodest Proposal
New York        Cesar Chelala
Dear reader
I want to make 
An immodest proposal.
Please listen to
Me because I am serious
Deadly serious.
Given that world leaders have 
Utterly failed to bring peace
And war continues raging in many places
Not only wars with
Guns, and tanks, and bombs, and
Missiles
But also wars against people’s rights.
All people
Hard-working ones and those not working enough
Depriving them of health care
Education, and basic rights
Cheating them of hard-earned money through utter corruption. 
 
Given that in many cases they have used their high
Office to enrich themselves to undreamed-of heights
Given that instead of instilling and following values
Of solidarity and compassion 
They have perverted those values for their
Own profit,
I want to make an immodest proposal
One that if followed may
Change the face of the world
and help us lead more fulfilling
and generous lives.
I propose to replace world leaders
with emergency room nurses.
Those who give their all for the sick
And who save patients’ lives
at the risk of their own. 
Those who make us survive deadly epidemics
and help create a better world.
 
I hadn’t finished uttering these words
When my wife touched my shoulder lightly
and said,
“Wake up, honey. The sounds you are making
Don’t let me sleep in peace.”
 
Dr.
Cesar Chelala, the New York correspondent for The Middle East Times
International (Australia) is an award-winning writer living in New York. 

ILLUSTRATION TO PAOLA BILANCIERI