Mathematician Dr Siaw-Lynn Ng and I developed an idea for a poetic form based on projective geometry. In doing this we also explored the ‘what ifs’ in mathematics and poetry which spark the creative processes of poet and mathematician. In other words, throughout our collaboration we often asked one another, is this what it’s like for you? Do you think in this way, too? How does your experience of creativity compare to mine? And often, as well, what exactly do you mean when you say…? We spent a fair amount of time and energy, for example, trying to understand one another’s interpretation of ‘a line’. This collaboration resulted in some poems in this new form. We also consider what might be interesting avenues for future research, such as the incorporation of octonions in poetic form. Our article about this will shortly be published in the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts.
What exactly can a poet say about bluebells
What exactly can a poet say about
bluebells that she can’t tell us about
parallel lines; and anyway
what exactly can a poet say about
the finite space below the arc of
a stem, parallel to the others.
What exactly can a poet say about
the bulb that holds it all together and
also meets, somewhere in the air,
bluebells. What can she tell us about
a stem that’s parallel to the others but
also meets, somewhere in the air,
bluebells, if she can’t tell us about
the finite space below the arc of
the bulb that holds it all together, like
parallel lines? And anyway
the finite space below the arc
also meets, somewhere in the air,
parallel lines. And anyway
one stem might be parallel to the others, but
the bulb holds it all together.
If an octopus loses an arm it regrows
Did you know that if an octopus loses an arm it regrows?
First it heals, then a knot forms
a small tendril grows and thickens.
Did you know that if an octopus loses an arm it regrows?
It is not clear whether this new form has its own personality
or if it is, in character and temperament, the replica of its former self.
Did you know that if an octopus loses an arm it regrows?
If this were to happen to one of my octopus fingers, would I notice the change
in the neurons in my eight fingers where the words live?
First it would heal, and then a knot would form,
in character and temperament a replica of its former self,
in the neurons of my eight fingers where the words live.
First it heals, then a knot forms.
It is not clear whether this new form has its own personality.
If this were to happen to one of my octopus fingers, would I notice the change?
A small tendril grows and thickens
and it is not clear whether this new form has its own personality
in the neurons of my eight fingers where the words live.
If a small tendril grows and thickens
in character and temperament, the replica of its former self
like one of my octopus fingers, would I notice the change?
Katherine Collins 
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