WHEN I REDRAW THE WORLD

A child imagines what life would be like if crayons could give things a redo.

The straight-haired narrator, with skin and a dress the color of the white background, applies a blue crayon to paper and begins compassionately: “No one will be hungry. / And everyone will have a home.” Colorful, cheery, childlike compositions portray a circle of houses from which people emerge, carrying food for al fresco dining at a common table. The descriptions move to the sensory, with buttons to push for favorite smells and sounds. Dogs will be everywhere, and the protagonist imagines their gratitude, particularly for the abundance of tennis balls. Various items will “be a thing”: ice cream shops in treehouses, confetti to reward thoughtfulness. The artist acknowledges the responsibility of the task and considers making “erasable” art, since “ideas grow and change.” Many of the thoughts and parlance mirror a young child’s logic and desires, like walking on rainbows; others, such as accommodating future changes, reflect a more mature perspective. A few don’t quite make sense, such as dangerous animals like sharks having to wear costumes, but children may still smile at the toothy creature with glasses and a mustache. Overall, this is a lighthearted prompt for readers to consider their own worldviews and wishes.

A pleasant exercise in “What if?”