What I never learned because of the pandemic

One of my teachers would have showed me that sitting on the counter and watching pasta boil could be a form of prayer
Quite possibly the only form available to me
Another one maybe would have taught me how sitting outside in winter could help me with the grief for my grandparents whom I have never met
There would have been a field trip where we explored how to not search for outside noise when all we hear is our own thoughts
And how the Top Gun movies can be more than just film, but a spiritual experience because of your dad
My guidance teacher would have distributed worksheets about how to fall asleep without worrying about what will happen during the 8 hours you are out
And how to justify that your happiness isn't fake despite the milligrams of Prozac you take each night
And maybe my math teacher would have showed me how spending a long time waiting and writing sad poetry plus one bad person saying "I love you" can actually add up to something by the time I am 17
He would have made that equation look easy
Hopefully, my English teacher would have taught me how to not feel rude when telling someone to stop whatever they are doing because they are hurting your feelings
Someone would have told me that saying the "Our Father" under my breath does not make me religious
But brings me back to some semblance of childhood
Then my art teacher would have whispered in my ear that she knows I hate her class but very quickly art will become my entire life
In ways I could never dream
Finally, there would have been an assembly that showed us how to find meaning in washing the dishes
I don't know how to do these things because I stayed inside
For a really damn long time