When I was 5
I thought quicksand
Would be a much bigger problem
Than it turned out to be

I would cry and get scared
And my parents asked me
What I was afraid of
And I told them

“There’s quicksand
Somewhere in the world
Someone has seen it
And that’s scary”

They exchanged worried glances
And shrugged their shoulders
Unsure of whether they were
Amused or confused

I now realize
That my fear was irrational
And there are many things worse
Than quicksand

Like death
And war
And poverty
And famine

But none of those things
No matter how terrifying
Evoke as much fear in my mind
As the quicksand did

I haven’t felt a fear
Like that ever since
And I don’t think
I ever will

My fears are all rational
Every other adult fears them too
They’re the things we see on the news
They could end life as we know it

As we get older we have fears
But we don’t really get scared
We just get aware of reality
Because the world is a scary place