No part of this poetry should be reproduced in any form without written consent from the author, Joe DiMino, who retains all rights: contact poet@light-cards.com

"Poet's Handbook" (by Joe DiMino)

Rule 1: hide handbook
From wife
Or husband—or both;
If not married,
Marry to satisfy
1, then go on
To 2—
Rule 2: disregard 1,
It was stupid, making
no sense:
And replace 1 with 3
(Yet to be written)
Forget about 4,
Wouldn’t be much good;
Preconceive a 5
That will not conflict with
Discarded 1
And yet to be written 3

(Dog ate the rest of my
Handbook, so if anyone
Has another copy,
Next page, please continue
As comment)

(Fresh pile in the yard
Found the next page):

Now, having discarded 1
Thus screwed-up 2,
3 one never really deeply cares about
(Just light poetry)
Forgotten 4 (would rather write
Than play golf)
5 had too many typos—
On to 6:
The sticks and stones
The moans and groans
The lovely young princesses
And equally darling crones
(Love them all!)
Oh those glass houses of poetry!!!
Don’t live in them (rule 7),
For poets, do throw word-stones
Really mostly images and tones—
Mostly for beauty
But sometimes for duty…anyway,
On to rule 8, not to procrastinate:
Write! Write! Write!
Day and night when at all possible…


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