Rule Book (Lauren Shapiro)

My, but there are a lot of 'rules' in life. You hear them all the time - at the amusement park, in school, with the police or in a security line, even glossy magazines and tv ads have their own self-contained rule set. They, however, seem utterly ridiculous when gathered all together, as they are in today's poem by Lauren Shapiro.

I like that this poem starts with rules commonly heard at pools or amusement parks - rules that are mostly understood to be needed - for one's own safety. But then, towards the end the poem, many of the rules are much more subjective. They seem to come from something like a modeling casting call. The absurdity of the rules is almost over-the-top.

Favorite line: " Are your eyes / at least two inches apart? We're really looking / for someone with a better sense of the absurd / who is naturally blonde."