On my mind in recent days is the problem of "so little time." About a year ago I posted a wonderful mathy poem by Californian Brenda Hillman
about time. The complete poem is available here; below I supply the opening lines:
Time Problem by Brenda Hillman
The problem
of time. Of there not being
enough of it. ...
Over the six years of this blog, the most-visited post has been "Varieties of Triangles" with poetry by Guillevic. Here is another of that poet's charming geometric offerings:
Diagonal by Guillevic (Englished by Richard Sieburth)
To get where I have to go
I claim right of way.
Because I provide communication
Between two angles
I take precedence
I take up residence.
I cross first,
Come what may.
"Diagonal" is found in Guillevic's Geometries,from Ugly Duckling Presse (2010). Buy it!
Californian Brenda Hillman is a poet whose work I like and admire. In "Time Problem" she weaves prime numbers into a deft description of the dilemma of not enough time.
Time Problem by Brenda Hillman
The problem
of time. Of there not being
enough of it.
My girl came to the study
and said Help me;
I told her I had a time problem
which meant:
I would die for you but I don’t have ten minutes.
Numbers hung in the math book
like motel coathangers. The Lean
Cuisine was burning