The students look old these days,

About my age,

Except they cough on their sleeves.

They've been taught to cover their mouths,

Not with their hands that they'll be using 

To touch things later,

But with their forearms

Or the insides of their elbows.

They have been taught,

And they have learned 

About germs,

And this is progress.

I guess.

But what will the generation succeeding them do 

When they cough?

They will scoff at the ones who sneeze

Into their sleeves?

Yes.

For this is what the younger generations do

To the proceeding ones.

They've been taught to.

They've learned.

-jenn