Poetry Prompt Day 23: Number Theory

A page from my art journal

You knew it was going to happen. The former math teacher turned poet/writer/word artist would have to go there. Yes, my fellow poets, today our focus is numbers! Now before you roll your eyes, panic, and run screaming from the room, allow me to assure you that your writing today has nothing AT ALL to do with "Math" (unless you want it to, of course!)

 Let's face it. There is not a day that goes by that we don't encounter numbers in some way. Look around you. Think about the last drive you took, bus you rode on, purchase you made. We cannot function without them. They are on our calendars, in our phones, along our highways. We use them as markers of important days and remembrances of special years. They keep track of the pages in our books and remind us when we're running late. Numbers are everywhere.



Do you have a lucky number? Is there a number that appears frequently in your life? Perhaps you're a fan of odd numbers or even. Maybe prime numbers fascinate you. Open your mind to the infinite number of possibilities! (Pardon the pun... couldn't resist!)

Here are some examples I found:

"Numbers" by Mary Cornish

"Number Man" by Carl Sandburg

"The Geometry of Death" by Amy McGrath (while not about numbers, it's still very much mathematical!)

I hope you  are able to take five minutes and enjoy the video below. Poetri is wonderful!




The Prompt: Write a number poem. There are many ways to go about this. You can write about a specific number or a sequence of numbers. You can use a familiar sequence (zip code, phone number, etc) to provide a syllable count for your lines. You can write about your love of (or distaste for) numbers. Just find a way to use a number in your poem, to inspire your poem, or to provide structure for your poem. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Suggested Forms: Tetractys, Etheree, or Tanka

~Amy McGrath