Cronin, M T C --- "Poetry" [2006] AltLawJl 3; (2006) 31(1) Alternative Law Journal 5

The Law of Planting Trees for Profit

The Law of Abandonment

The Law of Planting Trees for Profit

I bought a video of history

I listened to the excuses on the radio

And the ads for the video

I made pirate copies of the video

And sold them on the black market

No-one reads books about it anymore

Because they’ve seen the picture

No-one denies me

Or things done

Things happened

I myself will not deny

The greatness of the greatness

The only end this has

Is we can see all of it

The Law of Abandonment

Letting go!

Pointing the gun at the mirror!

Finally, believing in life!

All things eventually pass into humour.

Faith always happens in the dark.

The body is a pot which reduces everything to feelings.

Canned food is a certain kind of abandonment.

So is an occupation.

Phyllis was a girl who died for love.

She transformed into an almond tree.

Adam rejected a wife before Eve.

Did she look too much like a snake?

Death is such a fascinating idea.

What we’re not.

We can abandon everything but the dead.

They enter and re-enter us over and over.

The maggot of history discovering fresh meat.

First there was a package thrown onto a train.

Then a stowaway.

The ecstasy of falling asleep is embedded in our fear.

To leave, you must give up the embrace.

                   M T C Cronin