Three days later,

we bought a Newton's cradle.

Put it on the table, and heartsick,

tried to click click click our way out of it.                 

But there's six strings missing,

a great big grin,

and a legendary faux fur coat.

 

There are two types of energy:

potential and kinetic.

One is energetic, inhabiting space.

One anticipates

velocity, force.

It cannot be destroyed.

Waits in the wings,

electricity intact,

and it lives when we sing and remember.

 

Three days later,

we bought a Newton's cradle.

Put it on the table, and heartsick,

tried to click click click our way out of it.      

Then collision click clacked, slowed to a tick,

to a whisper, to collective,

from kinetic to potential.

 

It's said that friction robs the system of its energy

but really, the universe desires to commune.