Does One Equal One? Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Does one equal one?

At the board, shouted teacher
Angry, his face turned red
And hands, under dust hidden
But at the end of the class
Some shared beverage
One skimmed through magazine
Uselessly teacher made noise; no end
Teaching algebraic equations
Handwriting legible on a board
Sad of everlasting cruelty
He wrote: "One equals one."
One student stood
Always one must stand
Calmly said:
This equation is obviously a great mistake.
All the eyes turned to his side
Teacher, mesmerized
Then he asked: if a person was the scale
Would one equal one?
Silence ruled; question hard
Teacher shouted yes it would
He mocked:
If a person was the scale of one
The one with gold and power would stand above
The one with clean heart but no gold, down
If a person was the scale of one
The one with a lunar silvery face would be above
And the darkened face down
If a person was the scale of one
This equation would shatter
Now I ask if one equaled one
How would leaches earn their bread?
Or who would build the China-wall?
If one equaled one
Who would bend under the weight of poverty?
Who would be crushed under whipping?
If one equaled one
Who would detain the free people?
Teacher sighed:
Kids, note in your booklets,
One does not equal one...