My youngest daughter who loves to teach children
Now directed to return to the physical classroom
Anxiously awaits the likelihood of being exposed to the virus
Doing in person instruction in a time of pandemic
The first day back starting a new school year
When happy excited voices will bubble in the halls
Silent danger will be hanging from aerosol droplets in the air
And an invisible threat will lurk on every surface
Thinking about this scares me as it must scare her
Dismayed that I am helpless to do anything to protect her
Trying to keep my worries from adding weight onto hers
Knowing she will be at risk in harm's way
For individuals caught up in their particular circumstances
The larger societal context is an abstract concept
Offering no specific answers to daily life decisions
How to stay safe doing what you have to do
We all hope to survive and share joys with our loved ones
Taking precautions to the extent that we can
But the front line workers who have to function in the face of fear
They are the exemplars of everyday real courage
