The New Poetry Handbook

　1    If a man understands a poem，

he shall have troubles.

2    If a man lives with a poem，

he shall die lonely.

3    If a man lives with two poems，

he shall be unfaithful to one.

4    If a man conceives of a poem，

he shall have one less child.

5    If a man conceives of two poems，

he shall have two children less.

6    If a man wears a crown on his head as he writes，

he shall be found out.

7    If a man wears no crown on his head as he writes，

he shall deceive no one but himself.

8    If a man gets angry at a poem，

he shall be scorned by men.

9    If a man continues to be angry at a poem，

he shall be scorned by women.

10   If a man publicly denounces poetry，

his shoes will fill with urine.

11   If a man gives up poetry for power，

he shall have lots of power.

12   If a man brags about his poems，

he shall be loved by fools.

13   If a man brags about his poems and loves fools，

he shall write no more.

14   If a man craves attention because of his poems，

he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.

15   If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow，

he shall have a beautiful mistress.

16   If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow overly，

he shall drive his mistress away.

17   If a man claims the poem of another，

his heart shall double in size.

18   If a man lets his poems go naked，

he shall fear death.

19   If a man fears death，

he shall be saved by his poems.

20   If a man does not fear death，

he may or may not be saved by his poems.

21   If a man finishes a poem，

he shall bathe in the blank wake of his passion

and be kissed by white paper.