What a Year …
what is the effect
on the world
the long-lasting effect
especially for the young
who are old enough
to understand
but not fully comprehend
what they’ve lived through
it’s hard enough
for an adult to take it in
how desensitized are they
now
before the pandemic hit
they were already aware
you can be here
one second
and gone the next
that’s how common
a school shooting is
they’re not just drilled on fires and bad weather
anymore
but how to be quiet and hide from an active shooter
and now an invisible virus
has invaded every hallway of every school
in every town
in every city
in every state
in every country
and people wanna fight
over a mask
when I wear one
(and I hate wearing ‘em)
I can’t help but think
about the families
out there
who held no funeral
for a death
and if that death was arguably preventable
it makes it unbelievably worse
nursing home victims
had nowhere to go
and people with pre-existing conditions
already had it hard
and not just health-wise
but otherwise
battered women could not leave the house
children living in constant chaos
had nowhere to turn
but inward
the alcoholics and the drug-addicted
kept on drinking, smoking and shooting up
at home
when schools close
what happens to the kids
who live in pre-existing conditions
made worse by uncontrollable circumstances
what is the long-term effect
keeping schools open isn’t just about test scores
for a child
it could mean a meal
a hug
a kind word
a place to go
and feel calm
and connected
like there’s a tomorrow
to be had
that isn’t terrible
‘cause so-and-so believed in you
that you’re more
than your circumstances
that in life
you must continually
check-in
“and adapt, adjust and overcome”
TL