the most basic math

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

I only enjoy math
gnawed down to its bones

when it moves into sets
of apple, apple, apple
tossed upside down
& bruised
by paradox

where, suddenly
mathematics becomes poetry,
throws logic in the air
& concludes:

this formula is unprovable

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About Susan L Daniels

I am a firm believer that politics are personal, that faith is expressed through action, and that life is something that must be loved and lived authentically--or why bother with any of it?
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13 Responses to the most basic math

  1. doncarroll's avatar doncarroll says:
    May 23, 2012 at 1:56 am

    that sounds like me right there. i got the basic math, but anything past that i said screw it. nicely done as i got the logics of this formula.

  2. Rhonda's avatar Rhonda says:
    May 23, 2012 at 2:41 am

    Oh reminds me of my own struggles with anything beyond the logical and then having to learn it all over again with the kids….think they tried to call it “new math”. really? ugh! I’ll stick with my gozintas anyday! 🙂

    • Susan L Daniels's avatar Susan L Daniels says:
      May 23, 2012 at 4:23 am

      🙂 like I said, give me the nonsense math and I love it–anything leading up to the actual level where you get to toy with nonsense is what is beyond me 🙂

  3. brainsnorts's avatar rich says:
    May 23, 2012 at 3:03 am

    it might be provable but it might not be acceptable.

  4. Noel Ihebuzor's avatar Noel Ihebuzor says:
    May 23, 2012 at 6:16 am

    I almost flunked maths in my O levels!

  5. Bruce Ruston's avatar Ian Moone says:
    May 23, 2012 at 8:10 am

    Nice concept enjoyed how you ended it

  6. thecavesofaltamira's avatar Jeremy Nathan Marks says:
    May 23, 2012 at 7:18 pm

    Terrific. I love how the abstraction of numbers is brought home into the body of apples. And the verse “apple,apple,apple” seems just right. What a great way to count.

    • Susan L Daniels's avatar Susan L Daniels says:
      May 23, 2012 at 7:40 pm

      thank you! enjoyed math for the first time ever when I wrote this!

      • thecavesofaltamira's avatar Jeremy Nathan Marks says:
        May 23, 2012 at 8:04 pm

        Math was never my strong suit. But when I saw people gifted in it apply it to the world -and described the world with it- I appreciated it all the more. I think it does have poetic qualities, like you’ve said.

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