Two Bellerive-based seagulls consider their options. Bellerive, August, 2010. Do seagulls compose poetry in their heads when they consider the waves crashing in before them? Do they pen paeans to the lyrical beauty of the ocean? Might they ponder purple prose perorating parsimonious points? Have a poem: The New Poetry Handbook , by Mark Strand 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 fi...