Subtract five and carry one,
this long division
goes on and on until
I realise it's not about the five
or the one but life
and that goes on
and on.

The formula as I can see
is not numeral, it's
more elemental, and
mental arithmetic
is just
placed in my path to make me
maths sick or
more sick of maths.

The teacher laughs, but he's a fool
he subtracted, added,
divided and still
shares the same school as I.

It's all good they said but they
would
wouldn't they? as if the day was not
long enough for carrying numbers and
lugging that stuff in my head and
the thread of it's lost on me as I
suffer through geometry and where's
Pythagoras and what's philosophy?

Carry five and
stay alive,
keep the one to yourself.