on planet earth

she was a mathematician
by trade. you met her on
the plaza by the big fountain,
throwing bread
to pigeons.
she seemed distant and aloof,
quiet in her thoughts
as you walked by.
you said hello,
having seen each other before.
she mumbled something
about how far
the moon was away
from the earth,
the orbit of the sun.
it was as if she was solving
an equation of time
and space,
distance and the speed
of light, all at once.
hello, she finally said,
as you were almost out
of range to hear her
voice. how are you?
sometimes love occurs
when there is nothing in
common but being alive
and breathing the same
air, at the same time
on planet earth.