Ten!

                                    David Marshall

ABC WEDNESDAY


TEN!

I have ten fingers and I have ten toes.

They splay out like the branches of a tree,

And, barring accidents, the whole world knows,

Repeated tens express conformity.
Now nature gave us digits, as we know,
Upon the hands and also, on the feet.
It tried it once and, having seen them grow,
It went ahead and fashioned a repeat.
An abacus was at our finger tips!
That's why we always use them when we count.
When counting buttons, cars or paper-clips
We count in tens, whatever the amount.
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You'll notice, time and time again
That there is magic in the Power of ten.
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GNOT GNEEDED!

Words like 'gnaw' and 'gnat' and 'gnu',
(And, thankfully, such words are few),
Really make me hit the roof,
Since they give us certain proof
That our language is quite crazy!
After all, that 'g' is lazy!
It just sits there like a blob
While other letters do their job!
What if I added 'g' to 'nod'?
'Gnod' is a word that's simply odd!
What if I added 'g' to 'never'?
'Gnever' doesn't look too clever!
Would a 'gnose' be even wearable?
Wouldn't 'gnonsense' be unbearable?
Could you bear to write your 'gname'?
Would 'gneighbours' make you blush with shame?
Gno, gno, gno! It's 'out damned spot!'
Accept your gnonsense I will gnot!
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