Arithmophobia

I must have been 11 or a bit older

When I encountered Arithmophobia

Numbers with letters didn’t seem right

And even though I was quite bright

I just couldn’t see the fun

In letting x equal one

Why not ten or two or three

It wasn’t as easy as a b c

What had caused my adverse reactions

I missed the teaching of fractions

To this day I can’t tell you why

You turn one upside down and multiply

I searched to find a motivator

To understand common denominator

Can’t do half of a third you see

It’s not as easy as A B C

They set a bar too high for me

When it came to geometry

Pythagoras’ Hypotenuse was all greek to me

I wish I studied diligently

Then it would be as easy as A B 3

Seeking help feeling glum

I sought help from my Mum

She turned red all in a lather

I can’t do no maths ask your father

Why it’s no problem son

Doing maths is lots of fun

A plus B both squared you see

Eguals the square of C

It’s as easy as 1 2 C

Volts and amps ohm-my-god

Left me feeling a stupid clod

Was the teacher’s repeated insistence

Playing a part in my resistance

What’s Boyle’s law, I was counting

Something to do with tea up a mountain

Stupid boy next you’ll propose

It’s the Law of avocados

Pythagoras now I see

Opened the door to trigonometry

Jenny B, I could have helped her

Understand SOHCAHTOA

That doesn’t rhyme I hear you say

It does when you come from the West Countray

What’s the point of Trig came my plea

You can find the height of a tree

Now my mind’s much nimbler

I’ve never had to measure timber

Now way past 73

It’s still not as easy as A B C