Poem of the Week - Part II

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If you haven't read the Poem of the Week published yesterday (June 28), go back and check it out, because this is the rest of the story.

IN CHAMBERS

MUNICIPAL COURT

SOUTH BAY JUDICIAL DISTRICT

TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA  90503

ROBERT M. MALLANO, JUDGE

                                  Herewith find an orange in rind,

                                  In recompense for your parking fine.

                                  Your defense which is Roman law based,

                                  Does not obtain in this Court place.

                                  A curb of red means not to park,

                                  And a ten dollar fine the act did mark.

                                 Your poem, polite, I do not begrudge,

                                  Enjoy the orange,

                                                                     Regards,

                                                                                    

                                                                    The Judge

According to a local newspaper account, a clerk in traffic court received Dad's poem with check and presented it to Judge Mallano, who penned his own verse in reply and returned it with an orange at his own expense.

The story made its way to a family in Janesville, Wisconsin with relatives in Torrance.  That family called ours and shared it with us.

The fruit and poem arrived a few days later.  Dad always enjoyed sharing his tale of the ticket and included a photo copy of the news account and both poems in his book, "A Variety of Verse.".