Math Lesson 43

Day 28

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

Psych. Nope. I can’t count the ways. 

Math isn’t a love thing

And

You’re sitting right here and

I know enough about life and

I know enough about girls and

I know enough about you to know there may not be time for counting

Instead I can count on all the fingers in history that kept ringed promises

And know in my lengthy counting experience that it wouldn’t be enough fingers

Or rings

To count my immeasurable everything I wanna say

But words are air are butterflown missives to ghosts unread

Feathers to bricks and they all weigh the same when your heart can’t listen

I don’t know what counts for what anyways anymore

I don’t know what you can’t tell me and

I don’t know the answers to all the questions I have that you can’t answer

Something doesn’t add right, I know that

But I also know that since math isn’t made of heart stuff

It’s ok that you’re an unsolvable equation 

To solve is to master and I don’t want that

The exact math is, I have right now

And we are, all of us, nothing but the sum of our choices

I know that too

And right now my soul is whole

And even if I get that for just right now?

Why concern myself with the fractions I’ve been?

So no, I’m not going to count the ways right now

But when you have a lifetime to listen 

(because you’re going to need it)

I’ll start

“City is restless, it’s ready to pounce

Here in your bedroom, ounce-for-ounce.

I’ve given you a decision to make

Things to lose, things to take.

Just as she’s about ready to cut it up:

She says, ‘Wait a minute, honey, I’m gonna add it up!’ “