Diana Rosen

MATHEMATICS AND MOLÉ

Numbers flicker in front of my eyes as
I give him my full attention.
Differential geometry explains the black hole, he says.
It’s very obvious.
I lean forward to catch his words,
my chin in cupped hand,
eyes intent on his, yet
thinking of Mexican food.

Mathematics is the language of science, he says.
It’s reality.
Take this watch, he points.
It’s either one o’clock or it’s not.
Mathematics is very logical, simple.
I look at his amber eyes,
thick soft lips forming the words,
his strong hands cutting through
the air illustrating his story.

Mathematics is the language of science, he repeats,
The rest is just
it’s just,
he shrugs his shoulders and smiles,
leans back a millimeter in his seat and says,
the rest is
poetry.

—from Rattle #21, Summer 2004