ALL OF LIFE’S A FIB… OR IS IT?

Just Joan

fib-in-nature

The FIB is a poetry form based on the Fibonacci sequence.  The first and second lines have one syllable.  Each subsequent line has same number of syllables as the previous two lines added together, so 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21… into infinity.  You can stop at any point, or proceed back down as I have done here.  Fibonacci supporters believe everything in nature is based on mathematical order rather than randomness; I selected the Fib for this poem because doing so created an interesting juxtaposition of form and content.  (Click on the poem to view it in LARGER PRINT.)

life-fib

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29 thoughts on “ALL OF LIFE’S A FIB… OR IS IT?”

  1. pranabaxom January 29, 2017 / 1:21 am

    Math in poetry? I am staying away from it. Can’t be that disciplined.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan January 29, 2017 / 10:17 am

      I can’t help being intrigued by it, my dad was a math teacher. Think of it like Haiku, but really, really long. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. circumstance227 January 29, 2017 / 7:59 am

    Another wonderful poem – and another inspiration! (Guess what type of poem I’m going to try next.) Thanks for all your creative inputs, 42.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan January 29, 2017 / 10:20 am

      Thanks, 227. And you’re welcome. The single best thing that happens to me on this site is getting to see reader poems inspired by my poems, it makes my day. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  3. Tippy Gnu January 29, 2017 / 10:07 am

    I love the beautiful shape of your poem. And I agree with the philosophy. Fibonacci Series, and other such numerology, has wasted the time and money of many people, in my view.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan January 29, 2017 / 10:31 am

      Thanks, Tippy. I guess it’s Fibonacci-shaped? The philosophy was hard-won. I’m a planner by nature, and over time, I have learned there is no formula or list or spreadsheet that covers everything. This poem was born after I read an article in which self-driving cars were cited as an example of “the arrogance of the algorithm.” No flowchart can anticipate every variable, which is why we need to be at the wheel, paying attention. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Tippy Gnu January 29, 2017 / 2:15 pm

        I’m with you there. I like the features of the self-driving car, but there’s no substitute for a human being paying attention at the manual controls.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Marissa Bergen January 29, 2017 / 1:12 pm

    Lovely writing and so true. I know these challenges are not easily mastered, well done!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Peter Klopp January 29, 2017 / 9:29 pm

    First of all, you wrote an outstanding poem using the form of a reversed Fibonacci sequence and ideas showing the contrast between pure mathematical structure and the inner working of a human mind. I would like to reblog your post with your permission. Tank you, Joan!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan January 29, 2017 / 9:41 pm

      Thanks, Peter! Form and content really came together on this one. Permission granted to reblog, always happy to reach a wider audience. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. L. T. Garvin, Author February 1, 2017 / 3:05 pm

    Very nice, and beautifully visual, Joan. I love how you reach across many poetic forms. I also like the lesson in the poem, that life is not all plotted and linear, there are most definitely curves and unexpected paths. Fantastic work!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan February 1, 2017 / 3:24 pm

      Thanks, Lana. This is one of my personal favorites. I have been a planner all my life (nicknamed “The What-If Girl” at work, LOL). When I retired in 2014 and could finally relax my instinct to map everything out, wonderful (and completely unanticipated) things began to happen. Writing was like wiping the fog from a mirror and seeing myself clearly for the first time. Thrilling, but scary. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Quirky Girl February 2, 2017 / 6:56 pm

    Very nice! I’ve never seen this format before myself, but it looks so intriguing. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan February 2, 2017 / 7:40 pm

      Thanks, Quirky. Think of it like Haiku, but longer. Maybe try a Fibonacci lunchbox note? DO / NOT / TRADE YOUR / CARROT STICKS / FOR CHEETOS OR YOU’RE / ASKING FOR / TROUBLE / LOVE / MOM

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Quirky Girl February 3, 2017 / 9:13 am

        That is a fabulous idea! I will have to give it a try one of these days. 😄

        Liked by 1 person

  9. chevvy8 February 6, 2017 / 9:37 am

    Oh I have to agree with everyone – you have a knack for this kind of creativity and I fully agree with your core message. I work with Engineers and am pains to get them to realise that people and their souls cannot be simply computed through formula👍🏼

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan February 6, 2017 / 11:14 am

      Chev, when the medical field starting using algorithms to treat patients, I knew it was time to jump the ship. If care could be rendered on the basis of a flowchart, any monkey could do it. It does not take into account social factors, finances, the ability and desire to follow directions, patients who call simply because they are lonely and have no one else to talk to, etc. Intuition, genuine concern, knowing what to ask… these are “human factors” that cannot be replaced by a computer. In life, too much planning keeps us from exploring serendipitous avenues where our real passions might be found. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • chevvy8 February 6, 2017 / 11:56 am

        I suppose there is a place for technology and how it it can make our lives easier but just like your poem, the two need to complement each other. I think the reason why we has so much loneliness and depression in the world is linked to this alienation from the human and spiritual touch.😀

        Liked by 1 person

  10. judyrutrider July 23, 2020 / 12:49 pm

    You and Muri are converting me;I used to say I hate doing my taxes and going to the dentist. I dislike math and poetry. But I’m changing my mind about poetry.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan July 23, 2020 / 2:27 pm

      Doing taxes and going to the dentist top my list of dislikes, too. I always liked math because the answer could be figured out, unlike other subjects where you either knew it or you didn’t. Also, my dad was a high school math teacher for 30 years and it would have disappointed him greatly if I didn’t do well in it. Rhymed poetry is similar to music, both are combinations of right and left brain skills, art and math. I was a very mathematically-minded person (a nurse) and found poetry was able to connect me to the artsier side of life. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  11. Ben Winterburn November 14, 2020 / 6:39 pm

    Can I share this and who do I credit when posting?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Just Joan November 14, 2020 / 7:25 pm

      You can repost if you want, it’s my poem Joan Harris, JustJoan42 on WordPress

      Like

      Reply
  12. saintvi May 3, 2021 / 11:50 am

    I love this poem, both for what it says and for the beauty of the form. I’ll have to remember to FIB next time my muse visits.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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