Rule of Thumb

And if you’ve got one — a quiet rule you trust. It’s not because it’s flawless. It’s because it’s a rule of thumb.

I don’t need a manual, 

I don’t need a fixed plan,

Just hold the value of my insight, 

and the weight in my minds.

If it fits, if it flows, 

if it’s right and true —

I’ll go with the one thing I know how to do.

It’s not static, 

not law, not a number on a scale —

It’s the nudge in my gut,

when I start to veer off trail.

No perfect answer, 

no formula, no test —

Just “does this feel all right?” 

 and I do the rest.

Some rules are written, 

some are hidden inside —

Like how close to stand, 

or when to rewrite,

You don’t learn ‘em in books, 

you learn ‘em in time —

One small choice, 

then another, 

and one more line.

It’s not outdated culture, 

not old traditions, 

not a static number on a scale —

It’s the prinicple in my mind,

when I start to veer off trail.

No perfect answer, 

no universal formula, 

no test —

Just “does this feel all right?” 

— and I do the rest.

And if you’ve got one — 

a quiet rule you trust.

It’s not because it’s flawless.

It’s because it’s a rule of thumb.

Posted in: Poems,Principle/Practice