“Breaking the Rules” 

I got Covid.

I got the body aches, the cough, the headaches;

No fever.

I tested negative,

Then, I lost my sense of taste and smell.

I tested positive.

They say: wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance.

They also say not to go to school when you’re sick.

I got sick because someone did not follow those rules.

Yes, I did not die from Covid.

But I could have.

I could have become a murderer.

I could have been spreading those germs;

But I didn’t.

I wore my mask, kept my distance, and washed my hands.

My parents also tested positive.

They are essential workers

That had to stay home because of the damned virus.

We followed the rules.

We did everything in our power

To keep our community safe.

Others weren’t so kind.

They were quarantined

But went out on the town.

They didn’t follow the rules,

The rules were set in place 

For a reason.

They were not meant to be broken.

The rule breakers then expected us

to go back to school,

With no changes to the policy.

They expected our teachers 

To not fear the virus, 

To go back to normal. 

To say, “Let’s put all of the students we love at risk.”

I heard angry student words the other day,

People who had broken the rules say,

“Teachers are essential workers,

So why aren’t we in school?”

These people think they should be rewarded

For exposing people 

Just so they could play in a game!

Our teachers are doing everything

In their power to get us back to normal.

They miss us!

They want to see us in person again.

The real problem is,

2020 is not normal. 

The real problem is people are selfish. 

They break the rules

And we pay.