The Privilege To Breathe

• Chelsy-Lee Ordonez De Cross, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2020

People are dying, the virus is spreading. The assignment due Thursday is all that I’m dreading.
The sick, removed from their family as they take their last breath. My teachers still expect me to ace my maths test.
They are scrambling to think of ways to keep up the routine. To act like, in the mess, everything is pristine.
Instead we should be learning to adapt. This isn’t a time, to only feel trapped.
We should be taking this time-out to breathe, (whilst we can) We should be taking this time-out to read!
To learn how to do nothing, for once in our lives. To learn that it is okay, to just lay outside.
To learn how to change a light-bulb, heck, even sew. To learn anything, that we don’t already know.
We should be learning to really live with ourselves, with no external distractions, Just us in the world.
For once, we should stop and do nothing. Take this time to hang out with family, to bake muffins,
To do all those things you’ve been meaning to do for weeks, You know the ones you added to the ‘to do’ list heap.
We should be staying inside. Not going for casual walks or a ride.
Just because we can, does not mean we should, So, stay inside, it’s for the greater good.
There will be time again, to laugh together and play, To play catch, and shop, and go out for the day…
But for now, stay safe and keep dreaming, So that in a few months’ time you’ll be alive and still breathing.