SIXTEEN
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 11:36 am
SIXTEEN
“Sixteen” doesn’t mean a lot, square root of 256,
so what, most would answer, not a box of tricks,
breakdown though, tells much about the figure
so now, let us analyse “Sixteen” with some vigour.
It takes its place in history, both longstanding and new,
think Louis XVI of France and his grisly adieu,
Pope Benedict XVI, another case to ponder.
hardly guillotined but, willingly placed out yonder.
Anyone of my vintage would remember well,
that sixteen ounces made a pound before Imperial fell,
plus, “Load sixteen tons and what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt”.
Our recommended sleep time is eight hours per day,
leaving sixteen hours with which to work and play,
photographers are conversant with film of sixteen millimetre,
while the M16 rifle can shoot single or repeater.
Sixteen black and sixteen white pieces play in chess,
eight pawns for each player, total sixteen to address.
To musicians a semiquaver’s one sixteenth of a note
and on the Isle of Man at sixteen one can vote.
Credit cards have sixteen digits on their faces
while British driver Stirling Moss won sixteen Grand Prix races,
Jeune won the Melbourne Cup at sixteen to one,
barrier sixteen saw Jezabeel second to none.
“Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” saw Neil Sedaka rise to fame,
though UK choir “Sixteen’s” religious music’s not the same,
Sixteen in many lands is age of sexual consent,
and entitlement to drink at that age also’s got assent.
Thus, innocuous sixteen’s not as bland as it may seem,
though not a “prime” number, it’s worthy of esteem,
maybe it is “sweet and never been kissed”
but elements of sixteen can scarcely be dismissed.
Jeff Thorpe 30 June 2013 ©
“Sixteen” doesn’t mean a lot, square root of 256,
so what, most would answer, not a box of tricks,
breakdown though, tells much about the figure
so now, let us analyse “Sixteen” with some vigour.
It takes its place in history, both longstanding and new,
think Louis XVI of France and his grisly adieu,
Pope Benedict XVI, another case to ponder.
hardly guillotined but, willingly placed out yonder.
Anyone of my vintage would remember well,
that sixteen ounces made a pound before Imperial fell,
plus, “Load sixteen tons and what do you get,
another day older and deeper in debt”.
Our recommended sleep time is eight hours per day,
leaving sixteen hours with which to work and play,
photographers are conversant with film of sixteen millimetre,
while the M16 rifle can shoot single or repeater.
Sixteen black and sixteen white pieces play in chess,
eight pawns for each player, total sixteen to address.
To musicians a semiquaver’s one sixteenth of a note
and on the Isle of Man at sixteen one can vote.
Credit cards have sixteen digits on their faces
while British driver Stirling Moss won sixteen Grand Prix races,
Jeune won the Melbourne Cup at sixteen to one,
barrier sixteen saw Jezabeel second to none.
“Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” saw Neil Sedaka rise to fame,
though UK choir “Sixteen’s” religious music’s not the same,
Sixteen in many lands is age of sexual consent,
and entitlement to drink at that age also’s got assent.
Thus, innocuous sixteen’s not as bland as it may seem,
though not a “prime” number, it’s worthy of esteem,
maybe it is “sweet and never been kissed”
but elements of sixteen can scarcely be dismissed.
Jeff Thorpe 30 June 2013 ©
