Not a Number | Teen Ink

Not a Number

January 27, 2013
By harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Surrounded by numbers, defined by them,
How can I be number one, with so many women and men?

What is my intellectual worth, how important is my say?
I cannot be sure until I see my GPA.

I want to learn, so I need a good grade,
But success will eventually be measured in what I’m paid.

From when I was little, to the time I die,
I am constrained by numbers, you must be “this tall” to ride.

Math can be beautiful, it just makes perfect sense,
But sometimes life doesn't, I can’t live in this numerical fence.

I am trapped, haunted by numbers, it’s absurd,
I must break the curse of this quantifiable world.

It takes courage to liberate the mind from math and meter,
To fly higher than infinity, dive below zero, break all the rules someone else made for you to follow.

I can’t multiply a melody, integrate intimacy, or calculate compassion,
So I stray from the comfort of a steady tempo and march to the beat of my heart, my unique rhythm.

Shapes cannot shackle me, I make my own geometry,
Arithmetical illusions imprison some inside, but I refuse to give in to numbers, I cannot be quantified.


The author's comments:
This work goes out to those stressed out about scores and grades and ranks. Although they matter, the most important thing is that you are who you are.

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This article has 8 comments.


on Mar. 22 2013 at 3:54 pm
harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments
I appreciate the comment!

KylieK GOLD said...
on Feb. 10 2013 at 2:03 pm
KylieK GOLD, Mt. Washington, Kentucky
11 articles 0 photos 270 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To love is to surpass one's self."

Well, you've just... Outdone yourself! I love it.   The brilliance of how you constructed the poem with mathmatical terms while writing with this concept is just wonderful!   I love how you tell a story underneath, as well. Most poets just dwell on an emotion, but, in the end, yours resolved.   5 stars

on Jan. 31 2013 at 10:31 pm
harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments
Thanks!  I'm glad you liked it.

on Jan. 31 2013 at 8:25 pm
FemmeGeek BRONZE, Tenafly, New Jersey
4 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
― Kurt Vonnegut

So beautiful! I love your references to math and GPA. I constantly feel pressured by numbers, even counting my grade to the nearest tenth. I can really connect to this poem.

on Jan. 31 2013 at 6:24 pm
harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments
Thank you so much!

on Jan. 31 2013 at 6:10 pm
taylorbagen BRONZE, West Orange, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
I love this poem!

on Jan. 31 2013 at 6:08 pm
harrykaps SILVER, West Orange, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments
Thank you, I appreciate it very much!

on Jan. 31 2013 at 12:30 pm
thatunknownthing DIAMOND, Dubai, Other
67 articles 0 photos 208 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift; that's why they call it the present"

good job!                   -