To My Students @LedueRichard

It's okay, everyone is scared,

afraid to remember the past:

playing sick for exams,

whispering secrets,

goodbyes that weren’t meant to be farewells-

afraid to envision a future:

where the words “social” and “distance”

inseparable,

a coughing fit more frightening

than any pop quiz,

and imagining who might not be there.

Then there's today,

“March 16” still written on my whiteboard,

computer screens acting as translators

to our fears,

but the greatest lesson right now

is how we all need each other

Name: Richard LeDue

Place of residence: Norway House, Manitoba, Canada

Your favourite quote: "I write, not what I wish to write, but rather what I must." -Dawn Fraser

Your one wish for the world: For everyone to remember the importance of empathy during this Pandemic.