Swirling Symmetry: Thoughts and Images on Mathematics, Motion & Pattern

Even people quick to say they are not good at, or never liked, math will likely find themselves enjoying this unusual mix of patterned thoughts and images, where ideas related to math and physics are intertwined with thoughts on love and truth. There are some poems in Swirling Symmetry only mathematicians may appreciate, but, for the most part, the ideas considered are of interest to us all.

Exploring complex ideas expressed in the form of gently patterned rhyme, while looking for hidden connections to totally abstract, but consistently orderly, images, may provide a brief respite when the world becomes jarringly chaotic. Words that flow like waves on a sandy shore, and images that clearly follow rules, can have the emotional effect of creating a sense of peace and calm, even a feeling that perhaps everything does have its proper place in this complicated, and yet amazingly ordered, universe.

Readers will discover here poems referencing math concepts from zero to infinity and physics concepts like event horizons, black holes, and parallel universes. Some poems can be used as teaching tools. Some inspire questions, or defend the right to ask questions. Others give answers so precise that they include equations presented in rhyming mathematical notation. Still others present arguments for why some of the greatest of all questions must forever remain unanswered.

Viewed as a whole, there is a pattern in the flow of thoughts from page to page. There is subtle grouping of poems addressing common themes. Some are linked to math or physics concepts. Some map a journey through periods of joy and disappointment. One group celebrates the art of several well-known poets by revealing this poet's heart through another poet's pattern. A celebration of the ages-old appeal of verse to the human psyche culminates in a group of poems obviously written just for the fun of skillfully forcing a few playful images into rhyme!