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Sacred Geometry in the Bathroom

by Mickey 

Posted: 05 April 2007
Word Count: 308
Summary: Mathematical musings - I think I've posted this one before so I apologise to anyone who has already seen it


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The other day, whilst sat in the stall,
I found that my thoughts had started to wander.
I considered the tiles that were up on the wall,
and on their true nature I started to ponder.

I thought of the wall all made up of squares
and my mind started filling in lines.
Then the following thoughts came in no time at all –
just try it and see what you find.

Just consider each square has an edge length of ‘1’
its diagonal’s therefore root 2.
But the side can be also considered ‘root 1
(Don’t laugh – just think this thing through)

If you mentally switch and think in 3D
and consider this square as a box,
the diagonal distance ‘twixt corner’s root 3.
So then, of my thoughts, I took stock.

Because each pair of tiles (which we’ll call 2x1)
Are diagonally joined by root 5
I was finding this mental diversion quite fun,
(I can hear you all say “Get a Life!”)

The double-cube’s corners are joined by root 6,
but here I must call it a day.
For the maths I had found had my brains in a fix
(and up in the ‘loo I can’t stay!)

Where all this leads, I just can’t conceive,
but I think in that marathon session,
I discovered how God – like a long string of beads –
has constructed a helic progression.

So, the next time you reach for a shell on the beach,
just think of the tiles in your ‘loo –
‘Cos the world consists thus, of mathematical stuff
and, yes, that includes me and you.

And remember, you see, when you next take a pee,
that the ‘Meaning of Life’ is all there.
In front of us all, right there on the wall,
in the magic we know as a ‘square’






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Comments by other Members



Elsie at 20:58 on 05 April 2007  Report this post
Is the answer 49? Good to see you posting. (The mathematics lost me though...) Please post one for the un-mathematically minded..

Sam_H at 20:34 on 27 January 2019  Report this post
Hi Mike,

I like this very much. I enjoyed the way you proceed step by step from 1 to root 6 (could you go any further, I wonder?) and the idea of these mathematical thoughts springing from everyday things. The rhyme and rhythm are just perfect too.

Have you heard of MathsJam? It's an annual get-together to celebrate all things mathematical, and your poem made me think you would like it for two reasons.

First, people sometimes read out their mathematical peoms, like this one: http://chalkdustmagazine.com/features/e-thee-x/
I think yours would go down very well there.

Second, a couple of years ago somebody gave a talk about an interesting tiling pattern he saw in a pub toilet.

Have you written any other mathsy poems?

Sam


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