Poem Oh, telomerase, You crafty soul, Whose life-giving phrase Like us, gets old Lets polymerase, With longlasting hold Yank out from our fate Our mortal coil Syllable Count 5 Oh, telomerase, 4 You crafty soul, 5 Whose life-giving phrase 4 Like us, gets old 5 Lets polymerase, 5 With longlasting hold 5 Yank out from our fate 4 Our mortal coil —- 37 First letter of each line, it’s order in the alphabet and mathematical commentary on the role of the telomerase enzyme itself O Y W L L W Y O = 15(10)25(-2)23(-11)12(0)12(11)23(2)25(-10)15 10(-12)-2(-9)-11(11)0(11)11(-9)2(-12)-10 -12(3)-9(20)11(0)11(-20)-9(-3)-12 3(17)20(-20)0(-20)-20(17)-3 17(-37)-20(0)-20(37)17 -37(37)0(37)37 37(0)37