Marian Stoddard
The Writers and Poets of Quail Creek is a diverse and talented group of residents who enjoy all types of writing, including fiction novels and stories, nonfiction works, children’s books, and poetry. We meet on the first and third Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Kino Conference Center.
At a recent meeting, Paul Riggins, president of the club, mentioned a poem he had written involving only numbers. This inspired another member, Bob Rietschel, to write his witty version about numbers called:
The Numbers Kerfuffle: A Tale About Nothing
The integers held a convention to sort out their differences. Now right away, you might think there would be some subtraction going on if we are talking about differences, but you’d be wrong. It seems that each number had issues. I suppose it was all one’s fault. He claimed to have started it as he claimed to have started everything. One pointed out that even if things were turned upside down, one would be the last word on the matter. That’s how countdowns work, don’t you see?
Well, two was having none of it. He knew he was twice the man that one was. He could double anything one ever did. As far as he was concerned, one had an ego problem. He was overrated. Besides, who wanted one of something if they could have two? Three recognized that there was little point arguing the superiority of being three. Three sides to a triangle. Let’s see one or two do that. A tripod with three legs was more stable than something standing on one or two legs. Three was clearly a superior being. And speaking of superior beings, there were those who believed in a triune God. Three elevated to the divine. Sure, one can claim that those three only add up to one, but it’s the number three that is revered.
Four, five, and six knew there was strength in numbers, and they banded together to make their case that more was always better. What a dull world it would be without the rich texture that their curves and angles created. They were quick to point out that they represented the mid-point in the pantheon of integers. And everyone knew that venturing out to the extremes was rash, to say the least. Better to cluster in the middle where there is security in numbers.
Seven, eight, and nine knew they held the high ground. They claimed the position of top shelf. And top shelf is where the good stuff is kept. They had heft, they carried the weight. They could do the heavy lifting. They should be revered above all others. The squabble continued into the wee hours of the night. One and two collided, making twelve, and midnight was born. It was an accident, and the two numbers quickly retreated to their own spaces. But when that midnight hour was struck, a new player came down from a place no one had noticed. In fact, he seemed to come out of nowhere. It was
zero. Yes, zero. More to follow zero …