finding a cure for irony
		------------------------------------------------------------

		not just irony
		but all pathology of earnestness deficiency
		a cure for sarcasm
		that cancer of the soul

		to nix the fixed dim outlook
		of the embittered the disconnected
		the on the outs with the petals unfolding
		the unwittingly patronizing patriarchal
		or hen-matriarchal
		the sourpussing

		to punch a three-hole punch
		through that stack of crumbling acidic nonsense
		to thread it neatly on the three rings of restraint
		love peace and harmony
		and to file it away in the archives
		under the archaeology of humanity
		up there with human sacrifice
		ritual deflowering
		child labor
		carpet bombing

		to bare-hand the fouled off pitch
		and throw the batter out -- this time
		it being out three
		the last out

		and if having to show for it is
		an old shattered hand
		then make it a make-love flower offer

		to finger the lovely smooth hole of life aha
		with a lovely smooth practiced hand
		of understanding

		and if more of us shatter fielding then
		an olive grove in fruit
		a fruit orchard in bloom
		a forest clearing in the sun

		to find the cure for irony
		for the poison of don't-give-yourself-away
		to take up warmth as cleansing fire
		to start burning
		to start seeing
		quite from the beginning

		how very becoming


			Marek Lugowski
			10 October 1999
			Chicago, Illinois