PYTHAGORAS
He announces he’s created a new theorem
his first in over twenty centuries
It concerns the measurement of triangles
in eleven-dimensional space
The idea makes headlines
but the reporters don’t understand the math
The public are briefly baffled
soon forget the whole thing
Why worry about eleven dimensions
when you see only three
four at most if you count time
Meanwhile seven forgotten lines
form a supertriangle
that turns slowly around the unnamed axis
of the multiverse
Pythagoras wonders if he might find
some other universe to live in
one where everyone cares how many sides
a triangle has
On second thought he decides
it’s good to have a secret
begins work on the idea Pi represents
If the ratio of circumference to diameter
yields a number that goes on forever
then perhaps the circle does after all
contain the infinite
Infinity sounds far more interesting
than a mere eleven dimensions
If he finds a way to the other side
this time he’ll tell no one
