Poem: "House Rules"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem was inspired by prompts from kelkyag and zianuray.  They wanted to know about interactions with more mundane folks, and things that go missing but then reappear; and that all stuck with earlier requests to see more of the daughter of the house.  So here's a list of notes taken from parental advice and one other role model.  This poem was sponsored by zianuray. 

This is a list poem.  There are various ways to write list poems; this one is a numbered set of rules.  It's partway between couplet verses and prose poetry.  Though written in a prose style, I did go back and neaten up the line breaks, and all the verses did wind up with two lines.  But I didn't change the breaks too far from where they originally fell, nor try to make the lines of similar lengths. Eh, and then I had to fiddle again when LJ hashed the line breaks.

House Rules

1) Do not say "hello" to other people's houses.  Most houses aren't
people, and most people don't know that some houses are people.

2) Ignore any monsters in someone else's house, unless the host
or hostess introduces them.  It's rude to call attention to them
if they are hiding.

3) No bringing home extra monsters from around town.  We have
enough monsters right now.

4) When other people lose something and say, "Well it didn't just
grow legs and walk away!" that is usually true for them. 
And if it isn't, don't point that out.

5) Helen Keller was right: The only thing worse than being blind is
having sight but no vision.

Comments

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

The monster house is the kind of house that Gomez and Morticia Addams would pay lots of money to be able to live in. :-D

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

I'm just trying to imagine some of the incidents that resulted in these rules being created. XD

[thesilentpoet.livejournal.com]

Saw this one too. :)

I admit, my first reaction was to #5. I'm currently processing/digitally archiving collections of photographs of Helen Keller. But my second reaction was to #1. Because there's definitely some houses in Boston-area, which have personality. Houses you want to chat with, and houses you dare not say hello to, let alone look at.

[wander-realtai.livejournal.com]

I like this. :)

[laffingkat.livejournal.com]

This is adorable! But it does make me wonder what experiences may have indicated a need for such rules. :)

[aldersprig.livejournal.com]

*giggle* <3

Those aren't that different from the rules I grew up with.

[kitrona.livejournal.com]

I love this. I have to go back and read more about Monster House... it sounds to me like an interesting place to inhabit. :)

[eseme]

More insight on the house, too!

I love that list. It does sound like the sort of thing a child would write.

I can just see her parents making the list.

[cat-sanctuary.livejournal.com]

Terrific!