Shunya to Zero

by Rajesh Oza

They all wear Zero
On the back of their uniforms.

Mathematics’ invention of nothingness
Was a team effort!

Mesopotamians around 3 B.C.
Mayans circa 4 A.D.
Indians named it “shunya” in the mid-fifth century.

Onward to Cambodia,
China, and Islamic countries,
Before 0 joined 1 in the West.

Baseball’s exclamation of a perfect game
Is a team effort!

A catcher calls the first pitch;
A pitcher throws the last one.
In between, fielders play flawlessly.

For sharply hit balls, groundskeepers must keep the field free of bad hops;
On a 3-2 count, umpires shall not erringly call a strike a ball.
And the weather gods will contain the rain in pregnant clouds.

The scoreboard wears Zeros
Across nine innings of perfection.

Dr. Oza is a management consultant and facilitates the interpersonal dynamics of MBAs at Stanford University. His recently completed Double Play, written in Stanford’s novel-writing program, will be published in 2024 by Chicago’s Third World Press.

 

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