Title
Calculus, Arithmetic, and Other Poems on Mindfulness
Subtitle
At Best We Achieve Approximations
A Contemplative Integration of Math, Medicine & Mindfulness
In this debut poetry collection, the author, known locally as “Doc Z,” brings together four decades of medicine, mathematics, meditation, and lived human experience.
Why poems about mathematics?
And mental health?
What happens when the precise world of mathematics meets the deeply human worlds of poetry and mental health? This collection explores that unusual but fascinating intersection, turning complex emotions, relationships, and personal discoveries into thoughtful poetic reflections.
The poems grew from the author’s desire to better understand the less tangible aspects of life. Drawing on a mathematical way of thinking, he approaches emotions and human connections through ideas of patterns, balance, distance, approximation, and discovery.
Each poem offers something that can be appreciated on the surface while inviting the reader to look deeper. Mathematical concepts become a unique language for exploring feelings, relationships, and the questions that often resist simple answers.
This is more than a collection of poems. It is an invitation to see familiar human experiences from a different perspective and to discover how mathematics, mindfulness, and poetry can come together in unexpected ways. The deeper meaning is yours to uncover.
This first collection introduces readers to Dr. Zilkoski’s unique voice, blending:
The work is especially meaningful for analytical thinkers who long for emotional language that respects intelligence without abandoning vulnerability.
"Mathematics demands precision.
Poetry compresses truth."
Dr. Zilkoski continues to write poetry and is exploring reflective essays drawn from decades of clinical practice and contemplative study.
He remains open to dialogue, small gatherings, and teaching opportunities.
More approximations are on the way.