Of learnings now tempt us,
Like the myriad enticements
Of poor wretched Tantalus.
Theorems we grasp for
And so nearly reach,
Our fingers near touching,
As if mirroring each.
Seeking a balance
Between body and mind,
In pursuit of the things
That our hearts long to find.
The reward for our labour
Is occasional insight.
The spark for a flame
That burns into the twilight
And by the light of that fire
We strike forth with vigour,
Each with a shadow
Redoubling our figure
And dancing behind us,
In the wake of our progress,
Toward the realm of pure knowledge,
Exquisitely boundless.
(photograph and poem 2017)