Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, or Stupid Covid, Awful Covid

I.

There’s a pain that can’t be graded,

There’s a grief that’s more than sad;

Empty chairs at empty tables,

Now my kids are home with iPads.

Here the kids moaned about SAT prep!

Here it was they composed essays!

Here they dreamed about the weekend,

Now the weekend always stays.

II.

On the stepstool in the classroom,

They shook with nerves of dread.

And they spoke with “ums” and “likes,”

And I can watch them now,

On their unlisted YouTube link,

Our only wifi connection.

On my silent patio, in pjs…

III

Oh, my kids, my kids, don’t nag me!

I’ll eventually grade that missing work from two months ago!

I know the assignment can’t be open,

I had the wrong setting on Google Docs.