Dividing by Zero

You can't divide by zero.

These are words that float meaninglessly around my ears in 5th grade

and rematerialise when I reach high school,

learning reciprocal functions and trying to drawing curves that

run towards nothing, but at the same time

everything.

Not possible.

Choose any number divided by zero and

plug the expression into a calculator.

The screen goes blank.

Instead of an answer you receive

ERROR

printed pixel by pixel.

How can it be?

Divide someone by nothing

And they reach close enough to tasting infinity.

Growing larger than the cosmos and

encompassing galaxies.

It’s paradoxical how easy it seems.

how you can zero, a number worth nothing

a simple oval, empty in the middle,

and create everything.

Note: For Epiphany, a school publication. Posted on Instagram on the account epiphany.uwc