Whimsical Math Poem

Fellow Kindle Press author Cindy Blackburn asked me to write a whimsical poem for her blog http://cueballmysteries.com/blog/. It appeared last week and I am reprinting it here today for those who appreciate numbers as I do.

Let’s talk numbers, you and me.

Six: it’s as perfect as perfect can be.

Take its divisors: one, two, and three,

Add them together: six again. See?

Can you find the next one all on your own?

No fair cheating: Googling on your phone.

No rolling your eyes and letting out a groan.

Here’s a hint: weight in pounds of exactly two stone!

A stone equals fourteen pounds, multiply by two,

Gives you twenty-eight; let’s see if it’s true.

One, two, four, seven, fourteen make up our queue.

Twenty-eight is their sum; perfect numbers, adieu.

Are you up for a math trick designed just for you?

Multiply the first digit of your age by five –please do!

Now add three to that sum and multiply the total by two.

Check your work carefully to avoid a boo-boo.

Time to please add your last digit into the mix.

Remember that perfect number – the first one, you know, six?

Subtract it from the total and your age should appear.

But really, you don’t look a day over twenty-one, my dear.

Just in case my math did not translate well,

I’ll do it myself, just so you can tell,

If the trick really works without a headache.

Here’s the arithmetic I would have to make:

Sixty-five is my age, so multiplying six by five

Equals thirty. Plus three is the next piece of jive.

That sum times two is sixty-six, to which I add five

For seventy-one. Now less six and , sixty-five!

Here’s a trick with number reversals you might know.

I’ll give an example to help you follow the steps below.

Take any three digits zero to nine

And reverse them in order to make our design.

So 567 becomes 765; no need to curse.

Subtract the smaller from the larger: 198 in this verse.

Now reverse that number (981) and add them just so:

I guarantee the result is 1,089. What do you know?

An asterisk is needed to make the rules clear.

Leading zeros are necessary to include, I fear.

Start with 028 and the formula will steer

You to 1,089, if to the rules you adhere.

028 from 820 (its reverse, do you see?)

Yields 792. Add 297 and 1,089 it will be.

If the difference in numbers is less than one hundred

The leading zero is needed (in case you wondered).

For example, 574 reversed gives you 475.

The difference (99) needs the zero to survive.

Reversed it’s 990, now add them together.

Once again 1,089. We’re rolling in heather!

I see your eyes glazing, so I’ll stop this whimsy.

I know the rhymes were forced, and the rhythm was flimsy,

But admit in the comments if you were entertained.

Or tell me if you think this whole thing was harebrained.