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Monday, October 17, 2011

Naming of Numbers

The War of a Creative Mind Struggling through Maths
(Pastiche)


Today we have naming of numbers. Yesterday,
We had Grammar and English. Tomorrow morning,
We shall have what to do after graduating. But today,
Today we have naming of numbers. The soft grass
Waves like ripples on the sea outside the open window
And today we have naming of numbers.

This is the seven times table. And this
Is the ‘not equal to’ symbol, which use you will see,
When you are given your fractions. And this is the calculator,
Which in your case you have not got. Some children
Are running joyously across the echoing schoolyard
With freedom we have not got

This is the prime number, which is always identified
With a quick calculating mind. And please do not let me
See anyone using his mobile. You can do it quite easy
If you have any knowledge of tables. The notebooks
Are rustling and written in, never letting anyone see
Any of them using their mobile

And this is the ‘greater than’ symbol. The purpose of this
Is to distinguish the sizes, as you see. We can write it
Rapidly turned one way and then the other: we call this
Greater than all. And rapidly turned one way and then the other
The elegant weathercock is playing with the gentle autumn breeze
They call it greater than all

They call it greater than all: it is perfectly easy
If you have any knowledge in your mind: like the minus
And the plus, and the ‘not equal to’, and the ‘greater than all’
Which in our case is not the truth; and the fallen leaves
Coloured in various ways and the branches turning one way and then the other
For today we have naming of numbers.

1 comment:

  1. Lovely tribute to Reed's method, and wittily done, too. I loved the 'mobiles' and 'calculator'!

    ReplyDelete

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