Why do five out of four people have trouble with fractions?
From my school days of old I could not figure out why fractions were ever invented,
Be it four over five or five over four, my confusion could not be prevented.
I pondered and puzzled and scratched my head just trying to figure it out.
But the more I looked at them, the more I was troubled and left with a head full of doubt.
But as with all things, the years have passed by, and time itself has subtracted.
And, I see all around me these strange looking numbers, and how on my life they’ve impacted.
Let’s start with one half, that’s one over two, the king of all fractions to me,
When cutting or dealing or slicing in half the proportions are easy to see.
You can’t be half pregnant, half dead or half living, it doesn’t allow for such doubt.
So, with half you must choose which side or which part, you must choose to be in or be out.
The quarters come next, either one or a three sit proudly on top of a four.
But these imposters are really just half of the half that has already preceded before.
The trouble begins when we leave the big three, on the clock they appear every day.
But the others, they lurk in the dark of our minds just waiting to come out and play.
One eight or one tenth are loved by the pizza depending how hungry you’re feeling.
And leaving one third of the bottle of wine makes you seem more demure and appealing.
One fifth is up next, so easy to use, for working out euro and cent.
But for most it has been completely replaced by the more trusted twenty percent.
One sixth can be tricky to work out precisely when slicing the cake, you begin.
But just cut it in eight they won’t ever see the two slices you threw in the bin.
I see all these fractions each day of my life; they pop up on every occasion.
But seven and nine, I cannot figure out despite all attempt and persuasion.
One ninth of a thing is so close to a whole, why would you not just take it all?
One seventh so random, uneven and odd that no one would risk such a call.
So, let’s keep the big three, we use them each day, to help us divide up each hour.
Let the rest be all gone, just banish them now and from fractions let’s take back our power!
Have five slices of pizza, a game of three sections, a cake with slices uneven.
And if it all goes to pot, percentage is waiting, a system we all can believe in.