The mathematician-engineer
Published
Topic
People
He wanted to go on pruning
his life until
he reached one shining simple word
until he could say
“I” (perhaps adding “am”)
and that would suffice.
So he spent each day deleting
cancelling out equations
rubbing away pencilled hypotheses
trimming off shoots and sprouting protuberances sifting until only a few grains remained.
And the days passed (outside)
and the light changed continually, glowed and glinted
(but he did not see it).
And his children grew up and left
to lead their lives without equations; but sometimes returned.
“And?” they enquired.
“Not yet,” he answered.