Counting Gods

last night a verse i stumbled across haunted me for an hour before i could escape long enough to drift off. today, during the long drive home from new jersey, the same poem kept me company as i counted . . .

God

Numbers from one to ten, however, are called
"God." In other words, counting to ten you would
say, "God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God,
God." It is possible to distinguish among these
numbers by the tone in which each is pronounced.
"God," for example, corresponding to our "five,"
is pitched relatively high on the musical scale,
and accordingly sounds an inquisitive, even plaintive,
note. It is in sharp contrast to the number corre-
sponding to our "ten," which has a slightly accented,
basso finality, thus: "God."

--Annie Dillard, Tickets for a Prayer Wheel

So count to "God" and discover the timbers and tones of your own cardinal numbers. It's an engrossing pastime.