One
I am Brahma
the straight line, the upright being,
fire that flares,
seed without end, manifold
self beyond all
polarity, radiating sun:
the all.
Philosophers considered one a non-number,
generatrix of all that follows.
Other.
The singularity. The lone.
From the Indo-European oi-qos we achieve solitude,
while the collective meaning of one derives from the Sanskrit sam.
United in itself, it changes nothing,
becoming everything.
On its side it represents the horizon.
Alone is all-one.
The Latin non is one negated, as is the German nein.
Symbol of intellect, the Hindu moon glows wide.
Atomic number of hydrogen, magician’s numeral,
monad and eccentric, I bear the empty product.
O at the Edges 
Very impressive! My name and my pseudonym both are derivatives of Sanskrit. But that’s not the point here.
I’m truly fascinated by this piece. Need to read at least thrice to delve into the profundity of this one to be able to come up with some insight. 🙂
LikeLiked by 4 people
Numbers, their history, their etymology and how they function and have evolved in language, fascinates me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
So I have observed. You are quite a fascinating poet fascinated by those :).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never lack subject matter!
LikeLike
“…United in itself, it changes nothing…becoming everything! ” PROFOUND!!! So much can be said in that statement alone!!! …another great piece…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Cool Al. The world and its infinite wonders is right before us. We just have to look.
LikeLike
Love the number poems. Poetry is probably as close as words can get to all the meaning in a single digit.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Angela. I decided to leave zero for a while and take it up a notch, so to speak. 🙂
LikeLike
Great One.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed this “one” this morning, especially alone as all one. Thank you and keep up the great writing! Aloha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of your best, Bob! Much to meditate/think on. Esp. like Alone is all-one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lynne. Ah, numbers and language!
LikeLike
Powerful and inspiring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much!
LikeLike
So intriguingly complex and informative!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Like the number one – simple, yet much more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deeply profound and your explorations into the many layers of One…self beyond all polarity…a masterly philosophical exposition on the One! Much here for the grey matter to unravel…!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The number two carries a lot of baggage, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh crumbs…does the baggage increase as the numbers go up, just like the Fibonacci sequence? Now THAT I find mind-blowing the more I look into it. Yep. Numbers are powerful and carry all manner of symbolism depending where and when in history. I can understand your fascination…Bring on Number 2… !
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t believe it does, but they all have their stories. I put aside number two a few years ago, but may return to it soon. Have completed numbers 3, 4, 5 and 9. One of these days will start 6,7 and 8. These have become a long-term project…
LikeLike
“I am Brahma, the straight line…” What a fantastic line! You are THE poet of poets.
Completely and utterly brilliant!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! I am the poet of my backyard, although a certain mockingbird might disagree. But thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a belting first line. i think i learned more about science from the upanishads than any science book: it is the humility of realizing not so much the limitation of thought, but rather the purpose of it; why do we need to know the constituents of matter or the mechanics of the universe. it is essentially a useless thing. It just is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I have struggled with this realization, but as I age it seems to matter less.
LikeLike
That seems the best way to go with it. i found that as soon as i took ideas less serious i was able to emancipate myself from over abstraction & clarify my experiences, modernizing myself in the process.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If the Earth is ever eaten by a black hole, I want to hear you narrate our descent over the event horizon. It would make me feel much better about the whole thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that would be interesting – orating while being pancaked into oblivion. Hmm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You must agree that becoming one with a gravitational singularity would be a hell of a writing prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most definitely. But I’m such a slow writer that I’d likely not complete the poem. 🙂 But it would be a helluva fragment!
LikeLike
Reading your poetry is like walking through time, like seeing things from so many different angles while looking through a one-way lens. I love your poetry, love how you craft.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Heather. It’s the curse of the eternally curious – always searching, always wondering, and forever finding answers that lead to more questions. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is when it clicked for me: “monad and eccentric, I bear the empty product.” Perfect last line! I bear the empty product! HAHAHAH. Yes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A truly lovely piece. So very thought provoking, and like all good poetry/philosophy/theology it invites us to ponder what exactly it is that we are swimming in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Allen. That is the question.
LikeLike