Kirby Olson
Mathematics and Religion: A Bridge
The bridge that Roebling built
is far more extensive than the green arch
where we discussed the smallest possible number
still greater than zero (an inverted infinity).
The mathematician in his wool cap,
his head tilted back, responsible as the mayor
for a new sidewalk out to the hospital.
As a retired professor he rarely reads up on math,
he said, as flattened rivets held the span
over the roiled-river-ice-knots below.
For two years, a red light held up traffic
as becalmed drivers played with the radio.
The bridge had only one lane open.
The red light took five minutes to change.
It was long enough to reflect on infinity.
Kingston Street Bridge, April 2016
Other work by Kirby Olson