The Power of Influence

Virgil's Hand   by Francesc Parcerisas translated by Cyrus Cassells  The battle's slow and sinuous, a stormy fire on the hilltops. The enemy's spears and darts have decimated, at such a snail's pace, our once-protecting parents, that, almost unawares, we're caught, wordless, shield-less, in the blazing tumult of the frontline. Up till now, Virgil's hand. From this day forward, the world will be utterly different: we'll combat the fire totally on our own. Guideless, spurred by a secret quest for common sense, perhaps, in the long run, we'll realize the ramparts, the enemy, the war itself, are trumped-up shadows of a fire that's merely light and ash; we'll realize: purgatory and paradise are located within us.

In what ways did you learn to combat the fire on your own?

What did you learn from your parents, teachers, or friends that resides within you?  

Consider behaviors you forward on to others that have tendrils of this guidance. How have you taking pieces of others and puzzled them into you?

Let your writing entertain the questions about the power of others' influence.