2018-02-06


Cartoon Physics, part 1
--Nick Flynn 
Children under, say, ten, shouldn't know
that the universe is ever-expanding, 
inexorably pushing into the vacuum, galaxies  
swallowed by galaxies, whole  
solar systems collapsing, all of it
acted out in silence. At ten we are still learning  
the rules of cartoon animation,  
that if a man draws a door on a rock
only he can pass through it. 
Anyone else who tries  
will crash into the rock. Ten-year-olds
should stick with burning houses, car wrecks, 
ships going down—earthbound, tangible  
disasters, arenas  
where they can be heroes. You can run
back into a burning house, sinking ships  
have lifeboats, the trucks will come
with their ladders, if you jump  
you will be saved. A child  
places her hand on the roof of a schoolbus, 
& drives across a city of sand. She knows  
the exact spot it will skid, at which point
the bridge will give, who will swim to safety
& who will be pulled under by sharks. She will learn  
that if a man runs off the edge of a cliff
he will not fall  
until he notices his mistake.

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