Enga mellom fjella

The mathematics of balls

The mathematics of balls

Skittles try to escape the Pythagorean theory.
Scattering balls pull in small claws; they scurry.
Only to be caught
none-the-less.

The old lady speaks to a youngster who's hungry
of slopes and the height of pyramids,
the mathematics of explaining hypotenuse to children,
their soup-de-jour.

Is this Skittle a cylinder?
a cube?
or a sphere?

What is the symbol for probability, for diploma,
for rolling out of here?

© 2008 Kåre Enga [165.365] 2008-12-02

Two students (one older, one young) who will teach math in school were discussing classwork when Skittles escaped from a bag ... they didn't get far. Some of their overheard conversation worked into this poem sketched on a napkin at the University Center this afternoon.

ME:

Got to Spanish circle. Gave my 'zine to Virginia, Dan and Walter. Got to Butterfly Herbs for a pot of tea (Evening in Missoula). Finished Midnight and started Moonshine. Stood in line and bought my ticket for Saturday's football game against Weber State. I'm on the computer in U Montana's library. Nice atmosphere here.

Oh ... and I paid my rent!

Montana: 33.7º at 19:53. Snowing east of the Divide.

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