The New Math (2020) 绘画 由 Richard Cress

"The New Math", olieverf op houten canvasboard, formaat 50x60cm.

I know math well, the tables and the signs,
Addition, subtraction, both the multiplications,
And also long division. You may ask me how much
Is twelve times sixteen. And I say one hundred
And ninety-two. And the thirty-seven minus
Six I can tell you quick, that's thirty-one.

But now they've done something different. They don't do
Those kinds of sums anymore. Now they teach us
Sums in a new way. It's called the new math.
I am not too clear about it, but I know it's something
New and different. And anyway it's very hard.

They don't do the old sums. And the old sums
Are the ones I know. So I'm having trouble
With the new math. And my teacher is having trouble
Too. She says I'm doing it all wrong.

I want to know things. I want to know what
The new math is good for. Is it any use
For finding out how many beans make five?
Or where the north wind comes from?
Or why there are stars up in the sky?
If it's no good for things like that, then I
Don't think I want to learn it.

I know math well, the tables and the signs.
Addition, subtraction, both the multiplications,
And also long division. I have no trouble
With all those sums. I can do them easy.
I don't see why they've got to teach us something
New and different. And hard as anything.

Why do they want to teach us something new?
Why can't they let us learn the sums we know?
I am a math child. And I want to know
Math things. So I am trying hard to learn
The new math. I don't like it. But I am
Trying hard.

Joan Aiken