Poems for the Mathematically Insecure

By: Joe Pagano

Narrated by: Aly Lawrence

Nothing but smiles come to my face when I think of this curious, yet very amusing collection of mathematical poems. Why the name Poems for the Mathematically Insecure? Well, I think the answer will be clear once you listen to each and every one, and ponder the meaning of these sometimes rhyming, sometimes free-verse poems, all meant to teach a little mathematics and lighten some of the insecurities that this subject is well known to produce within all of us.

From the importunate "Help, Please Help Teacher" to the deeply philosophical "How Can This Be?", this collection of verse is sure to get you thinking, smiling, and reminiscing about those days back in math class. Doubtlessly, there is something in each one of these poems that will make you contemplate the nature of things in a new and pensive way, perhaps entering a reflective state of mind, where the mundane trivialities cease to exist.

As if not too much of a coincidence, the last poem is "Quirky Quarks", which explores the nature of these infinitesimally small particles at a time when quantum physics is a buzz word among us. Indeed, we hear and see documentaries and talk of “string theory” or the “theory of everything", and how physicists are feverishly trying to reconcile the four main forces of nature.

Perhaps this feat will never be accomplished, but one thing is for sure: you can still enjoy some mathematics without having to try and figure it all out. Just sit back and enjoy, smile, and listen. Who knows? Maybe one of these poems will inspire a great mind to come up with the answer we all have been looking for.

©2015 Joseph Pagano (P)2023 Joseph Pagano