Poem: Thirteen, Good and Bad

A baker's dozen
twelve plus one
get an extra loaf
avoid a flogging

Thirteen disciples
the last one a traitor
therefore the number
cursed forever

A prime number
and a 'happy' number*:
each digit squared
approaches one.

Thirteen months
in a Chinese leap year
equally spaced
twenty eight days each

Card XIII
rider on a pale horse
symbolizing change
not always literal death.

Fear of the unknown
the step beyond Twelve
paralyzed in uncertainty
or embrace it wholeheartedly

___

Math note

*A "happy number" is a number that does this:

Take the square of the digits (13 is 1 and 3.So 1²=1 and 3²=9)
Add those two numbers together (1+9=10)
Take those digits and add them together (digits are 1 and 0. So 1²+0²=1)
A 'happy number' is a number whose squares of their digits are 1

A "sad" number is a number whose square of their digits (when the whole process is over, it might take a while) doesn't equal 1.

So 13 is actually a 'happy number".





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