I wrote my poem “I Live by Nobody’s Rules” in response to this week’s W3 Prompt #165, where the Poet of the Week, Bob Lynn, gives us quite a challenge: to draw inspiration from his beautiful poem “What Remains,” and to explore themes of persistence, belonging, growth, or survival — and to include the exact phrase “nobody’s rules” somewhere within the text.
To read the “Seeds of Resilience” prompt guidelines, click below.
Bob’s Rules
Bob’s prompt: “Seeds of Resilience”
Part 1: The Prompt Poem
Read and draw inspiration from Bob’s poem ‘What Remains’.
Part 2: The Challenge
Write an original poem inspired by ‘What Remains’ that meets both of these requirements:
- Requirement 1: Poetic Device
- Your poem must prominently feature metaphor as a central device. Like the dandelions in the inspiration piece, use metaphorical imagery to explore themes of persistence, belonging, growth, or survival.
- Requirement 2: Required Phrase
- Your poem must include the exact phrase “nobody’s rules” somewhere within the text. You may use it as written, or incorporate it naturally into your poem’s flow and structure.
Guidelines
- Submit your original poem along with a brief note (2-3 sentences) explaining how your metaphor connects to the themes in “What Remains”
- All poetic forms are welcome – from free verse to structured forms like sonnets or haikus
- No length restrictions beyond what serves your artistic vision
Evaluation Focus
Poems will be appreciated for their creative use of metaphor, thoughtful integration of the required phrase, and how meaningfully they engage with the inspiration piece’s themes of resilience and belonging.
I Live by Nobody’s Rules
I live by nobody’s rules,
I do what I like.
You can knock me down,
push me off my bike;
it don’t matter you see—
I live by nobody’s rules,
I don’t listen to fools,
I’m like a whisper on the wind,
a sweet birdsong in a tree,
I can do what I want
it don’t matter to me,
I am me.
I’m that wild cloud wandering by,
wandering here and there
where it will.
I’m a dandelion seed on the breeze
I go where I please,
I don’t stand still,
unless it’s to gaze at the horizon,
or stand at the top
and stare at the view
from the tallest green hill.
I can sleep under the stars,
be at home in a tent,
house, or flat.
The earth is the soul of my shoes
and the sky is my hat.
I live by nobody’s rules,
I don’t listen to fools.
Don’t you see that?
I am free
I am me.
—Lesley Scoble, 2025
Audio—I narrate my poem in my mock-up cockney accent!
I narrate the poem in my own form of Cockney. ”Why?” you might ask. (It might be because I haven’t been well lately 🤭) I’ve always associated London Cockney with true resilience. They’re the dandelions—survivors against all odds. And that’s in tune with Bob’s prompt “Seeds of Resilience”.
By the way, the dandelion is my favourite flower. It honestly upsets me when I hear it dismissed as a ‘weed’.
Audio—My poem is now a rap song! It’s wild! 🎶
NOTES
Metaphors
The metaphors in the poem suggest that the speaker drifts like clouds and dandelion seeds—untethered and free—embodying resilience through their refusal to be confined by rules or limits. These images capture a spirit of survival, growth, and a sense of belonging on the speaker’s own terms.
THANKS
Thank you, David, for hosting your wonderful W3 Prompts for The Skeptics Kaddish.
Thank you, Bob, for your inspirational challenge!
Last, but not least, thank you, the reader, for reading my poem. 🙏
Follow the link below to learn more about the W3 Poetry Prompts.
LesleyScoble.com 
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