Numerical Drift

I find it takes
A lot of effort
For me to stay
Focused and alert
While counting.
I easily get distracted
Which often causes me
To lose count.
It doesn't help
That my mind
Has a natural tendency
To drift off,
Either in momentary
Lapses of sleep,
Or pursuing other
Lines of thought.
I have come up with
A slew of tricks
To help me in my
In my counting efforts,
But nothing is failsafe.
I will often
Group things
In piles of
A convenient number,
Then I can simply
Count the piles.
Occasionally I have
Counted something
Three or four times,
And each time,
Came up with
A different total.
That is a sure-fire way
To give myself a headache.
For those people
Subject to numerical slumber
As I am,
Counting sheep can be
An effective way
For them to put
Themselves to sleep.
One, two, three, four, snore.