Sonnet

Rules

By Vincent Lopez

The Rules of Golf are written down for you

And published by the great U. S. G. A.


They set the tone for everything you do

In golf (as life), from etiquette to play.

But something happens almost suddenly

No sooner than the round of golf’s begun

When amateurs ascend the day’s first tee

They offer up a gift: the mulligan.

From there the match descends into a bout


Of rulings on which rules should be ignored.


A principled democracy of doubt--


As long as three of four are in accord.

            So ’til your game is hovering near par,

     The rules are what the players say they are.