Michael Ceraolo - One Poem

from The Degreening of America Book Two

"A man can patent a mouse trap

or copyright a nasty song"

                                        "but

if he gives to the world a new fruit

that will add millions to the value

of the earth's annual harvest

he will be fortunate

if he is rewarded by so much

as having his name connected with the result"

                                                    -Luther Burbank (1849-1926)

                                                     developer of over 800

                                                     new strains and varieties of plants

And though it wouldn't benefit Burbank,

it would be just a few years later

that the situation was rectified,

                                              and

the idea that someone could patent life

was given government approval

with the passage of the Plant Patent Act of 1930

(Title III of the egregious Hawley-Smoot Tariff)

"This will,

               I feel sure,

                               give us many Burbanks"

                                                                      but

the act,

            and future amendments,

                                                 etc.,

gave us Monsanto instead-----

Michael Ceraolo is a 56-year-old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had one full-length book (Euclid Creek, Deep Cleveland Press) and a few shorter-length books published, and has a second full-length book, Euclid Creek Book Two, forthcoming from Unbound Content Press.