Toss the hand sanitizer.
Eat the dropped cookie. Kiss
a snot-nosed child on the lips.

You have T-cells
ready to battle bacteria,
defy diarrhea, cancel a cough.

Your blood pumps
an army of millions,
soldiers waiting to gobble
invaders on contact.

Trust your chances to resist
germs flying like bullets in classrooms,
theaters, nightclubs, the street.

Don’t be a victim, too timid
to shake hands with life.