Mathematics in Pop Culture-Fibonacci Quilt Spiral

A segment on Science Friday worth a listen.

It reminded me of a poem that I wrote a several months ago that gets at the same issues that are raised in this radio segment. I portrayed quilters in their roles as closet mathematicians and poets and end with a pop culture cliche to assure that no one misses the absurdity of a male science guy at a quilt show.

Fibonacci Quilt Spiral


Poems evolve like quilts
word pieces, color image, quiet dreams—
slowly, abruptly
together they go.
Sometimes they surprise you, tempt you,
leaving you anxious.
Does this fit? Is the color right?
Days pass.

Working evenings, rearranging,
small changes,
big change,
go back to the dream.
Let the pattern speak.

Magically,
the message appears,
your fingers working—

transforming wisdom
exploding from familiar scraps.

Awesome.