september brings word problems
to a boy who counts on fingers
& I make up some
just to hear him laugh:
if we have 12 beans
and 3 carrots
are they equal to
an ear of corn
he says
carrots are yucky
& could never add up to corn
but carrots can be numbered up
on his fingers faster
because he won’t eat them
(& he has not gotten to subtraction yet
in those
word problems)
so now he knows
when there are groups of chickens
in fives
he can add them
to three squirrels
& I say
you can count pictures
in your mind
of anything you want
when just the numeral
is there
even candy?
yes, even candy
& no danger of subtraction
when the M&Ms
are imaginary
Susan Daniels Poetry 
Cute!
Thanks, Georgia!
He could count as many of my broad beans as he likes…. As a child I always felt they used to multiply on my plate!
haha…know what you mean.
Glad that I found your site through Mimi’s site. I look forward to reading more of your poetry.
Thanks, Kristin–nice to meet you!
I can hear the giggles now.. very sweet susan
Thanks, hon. Most fun I have ever had helping the kids with homework.
This is so sweet!
Thank you mama!
very sweet and i am smiling 🙂
Thanks, Bruce 🙂
Cute poem 🙂
Aw, thanks, GS!
It’s been so many years now since I witnessed it. Such a cute look at the early learning process.
Thanks, Nelle. We had fun.
I like that last stanza. Maybe M&M’s should be reserved for addition and multiplication problems and carrots for subtraction and division. 🙂
🙂 great idea!
This one’s gold, so cute.
Thank you, Trent. Somehow it makes homework fun, from this side of the school experience!
Love this susan! I can picture him now, and hear him laugh, and saying yuck to the carrots. perfect.
Hee, hee–you know it! Glad you liked.
Sweet and fun!
thanks, Celestine–was fun!