Geometry

An old shovel is propped up against a gnarled mango tree, forming an 80 degree angle. Further down, a mid-sized box has been filled with red clothespins. It's approximately 10 pounds and 5 ounces when lifted with one hand. Six and a half steps away, an empty rectangular inflatable pool is surrounded by four shower curtains that have 288 concentric orange circles on them. Two cars are lined up behind it, so that the entire garage is full, with little room to spare for movement, human or otherwise.

Upon entering the house, one sees a perfect dot of sparkling blue toothpaste on the linoleum floor. Someone was in a hurry to brush their teeth, I think, as I make my way to the living room. Once I'm there, I see it again: the vase full of yesterday's roses. I should feel joy, but I don't. Some of the stems have gone limp, though it's only been there for two days. I snip off these said stems, so the volume of the bouquet becomes visibly diminished - from 12 inches across, I've whittled it down to 8. Soon they'll die, and that will be the end of that equation.

Sometimes we can calculate everything, from the frequency of our steps on the pavement to the average time it will take a person to stop loving another. Contrary to popular belief, emotions can be just as predictable as numbers. X-and-Y translates to I don't love you, or let's just be friends, or please go away. Square that, and what do you get? The best kind of problem: the ones that you'll need to solve on your own.