By CJ Muchhala

We learned to wash our hands again & again 
				 & not to touch our faces.
We learned to think of others 
				but not to get too close. 
We learned the worth of exercise
				 & of time spent outdoors.
We learned that social isolation & the loss of human touch 
				is harmful to our mental health. 

When school closed down, & we were free, 
we forgot these lessons—for some. 
We still crowd prisons. 

We favor solitary confinement 
				for infractions of the rules 
				& to contain mental illness. 
We restrict time in the gym
				& outdoors in “the yard.”
But we do continue to wash our hands.
			          Again & again, we wash our hands . . .