RULES OF THUMB Poem by K. Michel

If the house is unclean, they said
in my grandparents' village
shut a pig up in it all night
the evil inhabits the pig
and next morning all is cleansed.

In the structure that is each life
a moment dawns called
advice was hard to give, a leak
has covered the walls in Rorschach patterns
and it smells of something once
hidden during an old game

Look round the table and try
to work out who'll be the mug
a golden tip for poker players is
if you can't see the victim
there's only one option left

So I say on this new day
to the face in the shaving mirror
stop digging when you're in a hole
be prepared to say ow and yes
look around you, search all the rooms
and if you can't find the pig
it's you