Who says you can’t compare apples to oranges?
(If they were identical, then you couldn’t compare them.)
They both grow on trees.
(Different kinds of trees. So what?)
You find seeds in the core of both.
(What does it matter that one is juicier?)
Each is roughly the size of a fist.
(So color is different; it is taste that counts.)
Both are sort of round.
(Do you get bonus points for being more round?)
They each make healthy snacks.
(Are apples healthier by keeping doctors away?)
If you eat an apple, is it okay to say that it
…is crispier…
…comes in more colors…
…has a tastier peel…
than an orange?
Or is it wrong to complain that it
…can’t be peeled with your fingers…
…gets stuck in your teeth…
…appears bruised through oxidation…
not like an orange?
If you eat an orange, what’s wrong with stating that it
…is juicier…
…tastes sweeter….
…feels softer…
than an apple?
Or is there harm in saying that it
…tasted too sour…
…makes a bigger mess…
…causes acid problems for your tummy…
unlike an apple?
And if you eat a really juicy apple…
…can you only say it’s juicier than other apples?
…or is it okay to see how juicy it is compared to an orange?
Copyright (c) 2013 Chris McMullen
If you haven’t already heard about Read Tuesday, you should check it out.
It’s going to be HUGE!
Give the gift of reading this holiday season.
chrismcmullen 
I had a math teacher who always said ‘you can’t mix apples and oranges’ if we asked her why something had to be done a certain way. One day we finally explained the concept of fruit salad to her.
That comes up a lot when students try to add things like 4 + 2x (the better wording in this case is combining like terms), or in physics trying to add meters to seconds. I like the fruit salad. 🙂
There are some things you simply can’t do. This was her reason for everything. We pointed out shortcuts to get to the answer a few times and this was her response instead of an explanation. It was rather frustrating.
That would be frustrating. So much for encouraging the valuable art of creative problem-solving. 🙂
Yeah. I guess we got the last laugh. I think 87% of her students failed the final exam, so she got in trouble and the tests got dropped from our grades.
You bring to mind some very valid points;)
A poem with a mission? 🙂
and a tasty one at that!