Is it the news?

I need to make sure none of you get hurt

At the school where I work I wear an orange vest I have a whistle on a lanyard I whistle at kids when they climb too high or try to slide down things backwards when they run on ice when there is a sense of an immediate danger a small mittened hand with a large branch pretending I have a gun and I am going to kill you or please line up and make room for your friends make room for M. because it is harder for him and we need to make room and let him go down first so he doesn’t get trampled the stairs will be wet so don’t run don’t run don’t push each other please line up because I love you so I need to make sure none of you get hurt did you see my friend?

The wind on the first day back after March Break was intense and I was wearing a little bit too much make-up maybe to say hello I’m here and my eyes were watering when I was using my whistle and rounding up the primary students little baby sheep bumping into each other throwing the ball at my head and two little buttons saw the water leaking out of my eyes I kept wiping my cheek but the tears were ongoing two more gnomes saw me and one more in a yellow snow suit with rainbow gloves and a knit hat a lavender hat that was getting small on that head probably the last winter for that hat and those eyes he said what’s wrong why what’s wrong are you are you crying why are you crying what happened I said I’m okay I don’t know its just

Is it the news? Is it the news that is making you sad you know the news right now right you know about it and it’s making you sad maybe? and I said yes it is making me sad and he nodded his little head and blinked his sea eyes at me and said why does he want our minerals why does he even need our minerals? The line was moving along and this was the most present I’ve been in a conversation in a long time I wanted to keep talking to this person forever I said I don’t know why he wants our minerals maybe maybe he’s a little bit greedy? and this was a satisfactory answer I think because he nodded and smiled a little bit and seemed to agree that must be it there must be a reason why little yellow bird

We go into the school together and he tells me he loves his rainbow gloves even if they are ripped and then you just turn them inside out and see you tomorrow see you stopped crying and we wave goodbye I walk down the hallway I see art on the walls of the school a picture of the earth with tears coming out of her eyes a huge smiling self-portrait be kind to all be yourself you are special are you listening art on every wall of the school is the art on the wall of my heart is the art on the wall of the school in the camp in the tent a child made art in a house half-gone in a home that doesn’t exist anymore the art on the wall of the news a rose she made a strawberry the art on the wall of the television is the art you are my hero I like your mind on the wall of my phone is the art on the wall of the school that was in a picture on a wall that was erased