A love poem for lonely prime numbers
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0:01 - 0:04My name is Harry Baker.
Harry Baker is my name. -
0:04 - 0:09If your name was Harry Baker,
then our names would be the same. -
0:09 - 0:10(Laughter)
-
0:10 - 0:12It's a short introductory part.
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0:13 - 0:14Yeah, I'm Harry.
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0:14 - 0:17I study maths. I write poetry.
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0:17 - 0:21So I thought I'd start
with a love poem about prime numbers. -
0:21 - 0:23(Laughter)
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0:24 - 0:26This is called "59."
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0:26 - 0:29I was going to call it
"Prime Time Loving." -
0:29 - 0:31That reaction is why I didn't.
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0:31 - 0:33(Laughter)
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0:33 - 0:35So, "59."
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0:37 - 0:3959 wakes up on the wrong
side of the bed. -
0:39 - 0:42Realizes all his hair is
on one side of his head. -
0:42 - 0:46Takes just under a minute to work out that
it’s because of the way that he slept. -
0:46 - 0:48He finds some clothes and gets dressed.
-
0:48 - 0:51He can’t help but look in the mirror
and be subtly impressed -
0:51 - 0:53How he looks rough around the edges
and yet casually messed. -
0:53 - 0:57And as he glances out the window, he
sees the sight that he gets blessed with -
0:57 - 0:58of 60 from across the street.
-
0:58 - 1:00Now 60 was beautiful.
-
1:00 - 1:03With perfectly trimmed cuticles,
dressed in something suitable. -
1:03 - 1:05Never rude or crude at all.
-
1:05 - 1:08Unimprovable, right on time as usual,
more on cue than a snooker ball -
1:08 - 1:10but liked to play it super cool.
-
1:10 - 1:1359 wanted to tell her
that he knew her favorite flower. -
1:13 - 1:16He thought of her every second,
every minute, every hour. -
1:16 - 1:19But he knew it wouldn’t work,
he’d never get the girl. -
1:19 - 1:21Because although she lived
across the street -
1:21 - 1:22they came from different worlds.
-
1:22 - 1:25While 59 admired 60’s
perfectly round figure, -
1:25 - 1:3060 thought 59 was odd.
(Laughter) -
1:32 - 1:36One of his favorite films
was "101 Dalmatians." -
1:36 - 1:39She preferred the sequel.
-
1:39 - 1:42He romanticized the idea
they were star-crossed lovers. -
1:42 - 1:45They could overcome the odds
and evens because they had each other. -
1:45 - 1:48While she maintained the strict views
imposed on her by her mother -
1:48 - 1:50That separate could not be equal.
-
1:50 - 1:52And though at the time he felt
stupid and dumb -
1:52 - 1:55For trying to love a girl controlled
by her stupid mum, -
1:55 - 1:57He should have been comforted
by the simple sum. -
1:57 - 2:00Take 59 away from 60,
and you’re left with the one. -
2:00 - 2:02Sure enough after two months
of moping around, -
2:02 - 2:0561 days later, 61 was who he found,
-
2:05 - 2:07He had lost his keys
and his parents were out. -
2:07 - 2:09So one day after school
he went into a house -
2:09 - 2:12As he noticed the slightly wonky
numbers on the door, -
2:12 - 2:14He wondered why he’d never
introduced himself before, -
2:14 - 2:16As she let him in, his jaw
dropped in awe. -
2:16 - 2:1961 was like 60, but a little bit more.
(Laughter) -
2:19 - 2:23She had prettier eyes,
and an approachable smile, -
2:23 - 2:25And like him, rough around
the edges, casual style, -
2:25 - 2:28And like him, everything
was in disorganized piles, -
2:28 - 2:30And like him, her mum didn’t mind
if friends stayed a while. -
2:30 - 2:32Because she was like him,
and he liked her. -
2:32 - 2:35He reckoned she would like him
if she knew he was like her, -
2:35 - 2:38And it was different this time.
I mean, this girl was wicked, -
2:38 - 2:41So he plucked up the courage
and asked for her digits. -
2:41 - 2:45She said, "I'm 61."
He grinned, said, "I'm 59." -
2:45 - 2:47Today I’ve had a really nice time,
-
2:47 - 2:50So tomorrow if you wanted
you could come over to mine? -
2:50 - 2:50She said, "Sure."
-
2:50 - 2:53She loved talking to someone
just as quirky, -
2:53 - 2:55She agreed to this unofficial first date.
-
2:55 - 2:57In the end he was only
ready one minute early, -
2:57 - 2:59But it didn’t matter because
she arrived one minute late. -
2:59 - 3:02And from that moment on
there was nonstop chatter, -
3:02 - 3:04How they loved "X Factor,"
how they had two factors, -
3:04 - 3:08How that did not matter,
distinctiveness made them better, -
3:08 - 3:11By the end of the night they knew
they were meant together. -
3:11 - 3:14And one day she was talking
about stuck-up 60, -
3:14 - 3:16She noticed that 59 looked a bit shifty.
-
3:16 - 3:18He blushed, told her of his crush:
-
3:18 - 3:21“The best thing that never happened
because it led to us.” -
3:21 - 3:2361 was clever, see,
not prone to jealousy, -
3:23 - 3:26She looked him in the eyes
and told him quite tenderly, -
3:26 - 3:31"You’re 59, I’m 61, together we combine
to become twice what 60 could ever be." -
3:31 - 3:34(Laughter)
-
3:34 - 3:37At this point 59 had tears in his eyes,
-
3:37 - 3:39Was so glad to have
this one-of-a-kind girl in his life. -
3:39 - 3:42He told her the very
definition of being prime -
3:42 - 3:44Was that with only one
and himself could his heart divide, -
3:44 - 3:47And she was the one he wanted
to give his heart to, -
3:47 - 3:50She said she felt the same
and now she knew the films were half true. -
3:50 - 3:53Because that wasn't real love,
that love was just a sample, -
3:53 - 3:56When it came to real love,
they were a prime example. -
3:56 - 3:58Cheers.
-
3:58 - 4:03(Applause)
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4:09 - 4:10That was the first poem that I wrote
-
4:10 - 4:15and it was for a prime number-themed
poetry night -- (Laughter) -- -
4:15 - 4:18which turned out to be
a prime number-themed poetry competition. -
4:18 - 4:21And I became a prime number-themed
poetry competition winner, -
4:21 - 4:25or as I like to call it,
a prime minister. (Laughter) -
4:25 - 4:28And this is how I discovered
these things called poetry slams, -
4:28 - 4:30and if you don't know what
a poetry slam is, -
4:30 - 4:32it was a format come up with
in America 30 years ago -
4:32 - 4:35as a way of tricking people
into going to poetry events -
4:35 - 4:38by putting an exciting word
like "slam" on the end. -
4:38 - 4:40(Laughter)
-
4:40 - 4:43And each performer got
three minutes to perform -
4:43 - 4:45and then random audience members
would hold up scorecards, -
4:45 - 4:48and they would end up
with a numerical score, -
4:48 - 4:49and what this meant is,
-
4:49 - 4:52it kind of broke down the barrier
between performer and audience -
4:52 - 4:55and encouraged the kind
of connection with the listener. -
4:55 - 4:57And what it also means is you can win.
-
4:57 - 5:01And if you win a poetry slam,
you can call yourself a slam champion -
5:01 - 5:03and pretend you're a wrestler,
-
5:03 - 5:07and if you lose a poetry slam you can say,
"Oh, what? Poetry's a subjective art form, -
5:07 - 5:10you can't put numbers on such things."
-
5:10 - 5:11(Laughter)
-
5:11 - 5:14But I loved it, and I
got involved in these slams, -
5:14 - 5:16and I became the U.K. slam champion
-
5:16 - 5:19and got invited to
the Poetry World Cup in Paris, -
5:19 - 5:21which was unbelievable.
-
5:21 - 5:24It was people from all around the world
speaking in their native languages -
5:24 - 5:27to be judged by five French strangers.
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5:27 - 5:29(Laughter)
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5:29 - 5:33And somehow, I won, which was great,
-
5:33 - 5:36and I've been able
to travel the world since doing it, -
5:36 - 5:38but it also means that this next piece
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5:38 - 5:41is technically the best poem in the world.
-
5:41 - 5:45(Laughter)
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5:45 - 5:47So...
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5:47 - 5:52(Applause)
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5:52 - 5:55According to five French strangers.
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5:55 - 5:59So this is "Paper People."
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5:59 - 6:01I like people.
-
6:01 - 6:03I'd like some paper people.
-
6:03 - 6:06They’d be purple paper people.
Maybe pop-up purple paper people. -
6:06 - 6:09Proper pop-up purple paper people.
-
6:09 - 6:12"How do you prop up
pop-up purple paper people?" -
6:12 - 6:14I hear you cry. Well I ...
-
6:14 - 6:17I’d probably prop up proper
pop-up purple paper people -
6:17 - 6:21with a proper pop-up
purple people paperclip, -
6:21 - 6:23but I’d pre-prepare appropriate
adhesives as alternatives, -
6:23 - 6:26a cheeky pack of Blu Tack
just in case the paper slipped. -
6:26 - 6:28Because I could build a pop-up metropolis.
-
6:28 - 6:31but I wouldn’t wanna deal with all the
paper people politics. -
6:31 - 6:33paper politicians with their
paper-thin policies, -
6:33 - 6:36broken promises
without appropriate apologies. -
6:36 - 6:40There’d be a little paper me.
And a little paper you. -
6:40 - 6:43And we could watch paper TV
and it would all be pay-per-view. -
6:43 - 6:44(Laughter)
-
6:44 - 6:48We’d see the poppy paper rappers
rap about their paper package -
6:48 - 6:53or watch paper people carriers
get stuck in paper traffic on the A4. -
6:53 - 6:55(Laughter) Paper.
-
6:55 - 7:00There’d be a paper princess Kate
but we’d all stare at paper Pippa, -
7:00 - 7:03and then we’d all live in fear of
killer Jack the Paper-Ripper, -
7:03 - 7:06because the paper propaganda
propagates the people's prejudices, -
7:06 - 7:09papers printing pictures of the
photogenic terrorists. -
7:09 - 7:12A little paper me.
And a little paper you. -
7:12 - 7:14And in a pop-up population
people’s problems pop up too. -
7:14 - 7:17There’d be a pompous paper parliament
who remained out of touch, -
7:17 - 7:20and who ignored the people's protests
about all the paper cuts, -
7:20 - 7:24then the peaceful paper protests
would get blown to paper pieces, -
7:24 - 7:26by the confetti cannons
manned by pre-emptive police. -
7:26 - 7:30And yes there’d still be paper money,
so there’d still be paper greed, -
7:30 - 7:32and the paper piggy bankers
pocketing more than they need, -
7:32 - 7:35purchasing the potpourri
to pepper their paper properties, -
7:35 - 7:38others live in poverty
and ain’t acknowledged properly. -
7:38 - 7:40A proper poor economy
where so many are proper poor, -
7:40 - 7:43but while their needs are ignored
the money goes to big wars. -
7:43 - 7:45Origami armies
unfold plans for paper planes -
7:45 - 7:48and we remain imprisoned
in our own paper chains, -
7:48 - 7:51but the greater shame
is that it always seems to stay the same, -
7:51 - 7:54what changes is who’s in power
choosing how to lay the blame, -
7:54 - 7:58they’re naming names,
forgetting these are names of people, -
7:58 - 8:01because in the end
it all comes down to people. -
8:01 - 8:02I like people.
-
8:02 - 8:04'Cause even when the situation’s dire,
-
8:04 - 8:06it is only ever people
who are able to inspire, -
8:06 - 8:09and on paper,
it’s hard to see how we all cope. -
8:09 - 8:12But in the bottom of Pandora’s box
there’s still hope, -
8:12 - 8:15and I still hope
'cause I believe in people. -
8:15 - 8:17People like my grandparents.
-
8:17 - 8:19Who every single day since I was born,
-
8:19 - 8:22have taken time out of their morning
to pray for me. -
8:22 - 8:26That’s 7892 days straight
of someone checking I’m okay, -
8:26 - 8:28and that’s amazing.
-
8:28 - 8:30People like my aunt who puts on
plays with prisoners. -
8:30 - 8:33People who are capable
of genuine forgiveness. -
8:33 - 8:35People like the persecuted Palestinians.
-
8:35 - 8:37People who go out of their way
to make your life better, -
8:37 - 8:39and expect nothing in return.
-
8:39 - 8:41You see, people have potential
to be powerful. -
8:41 - 8:44Just because the people in power
tend to pretend to be victims -
8:44 - 8:46we don’t need to succumb to that system.
-
8:46 - 8:49And a paper population is no different.
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8:49 - 8:52There’s a little paper me.
And a little paper you. -
8:52 - 8:55And in a pop-up population
people's problems pop up too, -
8:55 - 8:58but even if the whole world fell apart
then we’d still make it through. -
8:58 - 9:01Because we’re people.
-
9:01 - 9:03Thank you.
-
9:03 - 9:07(Applause)
-
9:19 - 9:22Thank you very much.
I've just got time for one more. -
9:22 - 9:25For me, poetry has been the ultimate way
of ideas without frontiers. -
9:25 - 9:26When I first started,
-
9:26 - 9:29the people who inspired me
were the ones with the amazing stories, -
9:29 - 9:33and I thought, as an 18-year-old
with a happy life, it was too normal, -
9:33 - 9:37but I could create these worlds
where I could talk about my experiences -
9:37 - 9:38and dreams and beliefs.
-
9:38 - 9:41So it's amazing to be here
in front of you today. -
9:41 - 9:43Thank you for being here.
-
9:43 - 9:44If you weren't here,
-
9:44 - 9:47it would be pretty much
like the sound check yesterday. -
9:47 - 9:49(Laughter)
-
9:49 - 9:51And this is more fun.
-
9:51 - 9:54So this last one is called
"The Sunshine Kid." -
9:54 - 9:57Thank you very much for listening.
-
9:57 - 10:00Old man sunshine was proud of his sun,
-
10:00 - 10:03And it brightened his day
to see his little boy run, -
10:03 - 10:05Not because of what he’d done,
nor the problems overcome, -
10:05 - 10:08But that despite that his disposition
remained a sunny one. -
10:08 - 10:11It hadn’t always been like this.
-
10:11 - 10:13There’d been times when he’d tried
to hide his brightness, -
10:13 - 10:16You see, every star
hits periods of hardship, -
10:16 - 10:19It takes a brighter light
to inspire them through the darkness. -
10:19 - 10:21If we go back to when
he was born in a nebula, -
10:21 - 10:23We know that he never
was thought of as regular, -
10:23 - 10:25Because he had a flair about him,
-
10:25 - 10:27To say the Midas touch is wrong
-
10:27 - 10:29But all he went near
seemed to turn a little bronze, -
10:29 - 10:32Yes this sun was loved
by some more than others, -
10:32 - 10:35It was a case of Joseph
and his dreamcoat and his brothers -
10:35 - 10:38Because standing out from the crowd
had its pros and its cons, -
10:38 - 10:40And jealousy created enemies
in those he outshone -
10:40 - 10:41Such as the Shadow People.
-
10:41 - 10:44Now the Shadow People
didn’t like the Sunshine Kid, -
10:44 - 10:47Because he showed up the dark things
the Shadow People did, -
10:47 - 10:50And when he shone he showed
the places where the Shadow People hid, -
10:50 - 10:52So the Shadow People had
an evil plan to get rid of him, -
10:52 - 10:55First up -- they made fun of his sunspots,
-
10:55 - 10:58Shooting his dreams from the sky,
their words were gunshots, -
10:58 - 11:00Designed to remind him
he wasn’t very cool -
11:00 - 11:03And he didn’t fit in with any
popular kids at school. -
11:03 - 11:06They said his head was up in space
and they would bring him down to Earth, -
11:06 - 11:09Essentially he came from nothing
and that is what he was worth, -
11:09 - 11:11He’d never get to go
to university to learn, -
11:11 - 11:14Only degrees he’d ever show
would be the first degree burns -
11:14 - 11:16From those that came too close,
-
11:16 - 11:17they told him he was too bright,
-
11:17 - 11:20That’s why no one ever
looked him in the eyes, -
11:20 - 11:21His judgment became clouded
-
11:21 - 11:23So did the sky,
With evaporated tears -
11:23 - 11:24as the sun started to cry.
-
11:24 - 11:29Because the sunshine kid was bright,
with a warm personality, -
11:29 - 11:31And inside he burned savagely
-
11:31 - 11:34Hurt by the words and curses
of the shadowy folk -
11:34 - 11:36who spoke holes in his soul
and left cavities, -
11:36 - 11:40And as his heart hardened,
his spark darkened, -
11:40 - 11:43Every time they called him names
it cooled his flames, -
11:43 - 11:45He thought they might like him
if he kept his light dim -
11:45 - 11:48But they were busy telling lightning
she had terrible aim, -
11:48 - 11:51He couldn’t quite get to grips
with what they said, -
11:51 - 11:54So he let his light be eclipsed
by what they said, -
11:54 - 11:56He fell into a Lone Star State like Texas,
-
11:56 - 11:59And felt like he’d been punched
in his solar plexus. -
11:59 - 12:03But that’s when
Little Miss Sunshine came along -
12:03 - 12:06Singing her favorite song
about how we’re made to be strong, -
12:06 - 12:09And you don’t have to be wrong to belong,
Just be true to who you are, -
12:09 - 12:11because we are all stars at heart.
-
12:11 - 12:15Little Miss Sunshine was hot stuff,
-
12:15 - 12:17The kind of girl when you looked at her
-
12:17 - 12:19you forgot stuff,
-
12:19 - 12:21But for him, there was no forgetting her,
-
12:21 - 12:24The minute he saw her
her image burned in his retina, -
12:24 - 12:26She was out of this world,
and she accepted him, -
12:26 - 12:29Something about this girl meant he knew
whenever she was next to him, -
12:29 - 12:32Things weren’t as dark as they seemed,
and he dared to dream, -
12:32 - 12:35Shadows were nowhere to be seen;
when she was there he beamed, -
12:35 - 12:38His eyes would light up
in ways that can’t be faked, -
12:38 - 12:41When she grinned her rays erased
the razor-tipped words of hate, -
12:41 - 12:44They gave each other nicknames,
they were "cool star" and "fun sun," -
12:44 - 12:47And gradually the shadowy
damage became undone, -
12:47 - 12:51She was one in a septillion,
and she was brilliant, -
12:51 - 12:53Could turn the coldest blooded
reptilians vermillion, -
12:53 - 12:56Loved by billions,
from Chileans to Brazilians, -
12:56 - 12:59And taught the Sunshine Kid
the meaning of resilience. -
12:59 - 13:02She said: “All the darkness in the world
-
13:02 - 13:05cannot put out the light
from a single candle -
13:05 - 13:07So how the hell can they
handle your light? -
13:07 - 13:10Only you can choose to dim it,
and the sky is the limit, -
13:10 - 13:12so silence the critics by burning.”
-
13:12 - 13:15And if eyes are windows to the soul
then she drew back the curtains -
13:15 - 13:17And let the sun shine
through the hurting. -
13:17 - 13:19In a universe of adversity
these stars stuck together, -
13:19 - 13:22And though days became nights
the memories would last forever, -
13:22 - 13:25Whether the weatherman
said it or not, it would be fine, -
13:25 - 13:28'Cause even behind the clouds
the kid could still shine. -
13:28 - 13:31Yes, the Sunshine Kid was bright,
with a warm personality, -
13:31 - 13:32And inside he burned savagely,
-
13:32 - 13:36Fueled by the fire
inspired across galaxies -
13:36 - 13:38By the girl who showed him belief.
-
13:38 - 13:41Thank you very much.
-
13:41 - 13:48(Applause)
- Title:
- A love poem for lonely prime numbers
- Speaker:
- Harry Baker
- Description:
-
Performance poet (and math student) Harry Baker spins a love poem about his favorite kind of numbers — the lonely, love-lorn prime. Stay on for two more lively, inspiring poems from this charming performer.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 14:05
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast approved English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for A love poem for lonely prime numbers |