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What I Learned in Physics
Matthew Steiner
Emissivity describes how much heat
an object gives and receives.
Takes a value between zero and one,
either reflecting or absorbing energy.
I see a dark sword, surrounded by flame.
It’s handle of steel, though it might be sun
it hurts to look, but the blade hurts to feel.
It is one.
The buoyancy force pushes up against
fluids. The more fluid displaced,
the more mass can be lifted, or floated.
The less dense, the better.
I see a silver ship, an oblong orb filled
with nothingness. Orange clouds buffet
it five Earths below the Red Spot.
Eat your heart out Hindenburg.
Friction is always with us, but sometimes
we pretend, or ignore if we have to.
Ice has friction, else skaters couldn’t
start, but it has little enough.
I see a line of men in white suits and skates.
Behind, an arena of stars, watching
as they push off against a ground that isn’t
and then no slowing.
