New Calculations
The Romans had no zeros.
How could their empire thrive?
No cosmic calculations,
Trumps counting over their riches,
figuring a frigid day in Fahrenheit,
or centigrade's freezing point
of water.
What about "love" in tennis?
"L'oeuf," a French egg would remain
a plain egg and "love" not
the derivative naught.
And what about Emily Dickinson's
chilling encounter with snake?
No "zero at the bone."
Zero Mostel would require a new nickname
and lose some of his zest.
But Hindus knew the zero.
Over the sands they strode.
Camel processions plodding
beyond Arabia to Europe
in those medieval times,
carrying to us the circles
more precious than spices, the zeros,
hid in Arabic numerals.
We ran with them ruffled and stirred -
wizard orbs and balloons.
We left camel caravans in the dust
and trailed Einstein beyond the moon.
~Yamile Craven