“Am I carving mystery out of matter
          or carving matter out of mystery?”
                      — Nancy Dean Mercury

Matter from Latin, mater— mother
Mystery from Greek, mystos— silence
The named & nameless, mother & the Tao
Be still and know that I am God.

In the silence of the womb
a babe born in fullness—
the stars scatter so far out
that Love has to pull them back.

Black hole, white light— cave & sky
emptiness is form— joy everywhere.
Out of nothing comes one song—
this universe in splendor.

Between teardrops of yin & yang
waves touch— black kissing white.
Father Time's river calm & gray
with Shiva dancing on a leaf of light.

If mystery comes out of matter—
Where does the mystery come from?
Wave and water, many and the One
Ah! the spring geese are flying north.

The old slender marble in the courtyard
Not enough bulk to carve something out.
Then along came Michelangelo
to awaken David from his sleep.

Matter & mystery, mass & energy
Einstein's carving: E=mc²
You can do it too—
Squaring the speed of light!