Greg Masters reads from The Complete Thoughts of Greg Masters
I like narrative poetry so I always look forward to a new book by Greg Masters. The Complete Thoughts of Greg Masters is full of stories the poet often recalls from his own life; and it could be something that happened yesterday, or when he was fifteen, experiences of remembering that bring us to the insightful present. Greg reads from The Complete Thoughts of Greg Masters in the Vimeo below. Enjoy.
One poem I like, that isn’t in the Vimeo above, is not a story, but a lesson. It’s called “How to Split the Check.” I like it so much, that I typed it out myself. A poet like Ed Sanders—who says that poetry can do anything—would really like it.
How to Split the Check
x(y + 10) + zy = a
where x is number of
people drinking alcohol
and z is the number of
others at the table
(not drinking alcohol)
and a is the total of
the check with tip.
So, if five people had
a drink and four
people did not,
and the total check,
with tip added, is $250,
we want to solve for y:
5(y+10) + 4y = 250.
Using the distributive property,
multiply 5 by y+10:
5y + 50 + 4y = 250.
Combining 5y and 4y yields 9y.
9y + 50 = 250.
Subtract 50 from each side:
9y = 200.
Divide each side by 9:
9y/9 = 200/9 =
y = 200/9 =
y = 22.22.
Thus, each of the five imbibers
pay $22.22 + $10 = $32.22,
while the four non-imbibers
each pay $22.22.
So, (5 x $32.22) + (4 x $22.22) =
$161.10 + $88.88 = $249.98.
Close enough.
The Complete Thoughts of Greg Masters is published by Crony Books. You can check it out here:
