Measurement

A poem by Achuthan Panikath

Tue Mar 24 2026

8726 days have passed.
You are now at a minute to midnight.

In a measured world of countless plays
With acts penned down to tally up
Our grades, likes, dollars and rishtas found.
Math, the hammer for a world of nails;
We commit to prune some in a blink:
Sleep, waist, left swipes, unwed names.
A life that doubles each minute passed,
We fear the gong but feel it's far —
Too many numbers, n things at play,
Just one count, a second, slips by unseen.

A 1000 in network; 12 meetings a day.
8 nominations; V8s I climb.
My package is only 400 Ks,
I'm just 6 inches; Are you 30Cs?
I have 20 plots. I need 15 creds.
What of the £8,500 gown?
Saved 5 at Costco. Down 2 in Mass;
6 percent — 8th largest — first in the world.
Made 99th percentile. Wait, who's better —?

Gong.
Math nails it shut.