When Zoe first approached me about doing this project she asked what themes of poems I was interested in reading. It may seem strange but almost immediately my gut told me, “joy.” While the world feels darker than it has in my lifetime, I’ve found joy in the two wonderful, tiny humans, that I’ve been nannying since quarantine started. Through the gloom of distancing from many of the people I care about most, I am rejuvenated by the joy these kids find in the world around them. Every robin they see in the yard is cause for celebration, every dandelion we pick on our daily walks becomes the most beautiful bouquet they’ve ever seen. One time we sat in gleeful silence watching deer in the backyard for a full five minutes. While it’s hard these days to “live as if death were nowhere in the background;” I am reminded by every day these kids to stop and smell the blossoms.