Perhaps You May Borrow Some “Legal Advice”

Jules Heartly | October 7th , 2023

The news delivered were clear, crystal clear.  They were a sentence..  The judge had conceded a divorce to her husband with no further requests.  How was it done was beyond her, but it didn’t matter, the results were the same.   Not that she didn’t expect them. It was just how it all had been unrevealed.  

I wish I had the opportunity to be part of the discussion, the decision to file for divorce, I mean.  She told me. But that wasn’t the case.  Closure would be something harder to achieve unless something happened, but what?

“Why don’t you just write him a letter and send it via post office mail? At least you will get everything out of your chest, communicate with your ex-husband, creating no additional distress? ‘’ I suggested.     

“I would, but it is hard to articulate” her words came out slowly Like a thought slipping out with sound.

And then I remembered,  there was this well known Colombian  journalist, poet and lawyer, Maria Teresa Aristizabal,  who had written a complete book of poems about legal related matters. A book titled : Love under oath.  Perhaps she would have an appropriate one for the sad occasion.

I contacted her.  “I have the perfect poem for the occasion,” she said in a delighted tone. 

The poem in question was written in Spanish, and its translation to English was an effort in itself but it was worth doing it for the fun of this blog:

Preclusion

Our love has been precluded, You pronounced the sentence without evidence in my favor, Without a claim, without response, without recourse, without trial, without plea, without defense.

For you, the case was closed, Rendering a judgment without justice, Disregarding my innocence, Without bond, without term, without status, without appraisal, without conclusion, nor expertise.

You declared it res judicata, Without analysis of its content, Without harm, nor conscience, And ultimately, you claimed not to be acquitted.

Objection!

Denied!

And that love, without a date, was dismissed, Someday, you will have to pay for the unsealing of oblivion, the unsealing of forgotten feelings.

As we continued our conversation about how she had gone about writing a book of poems using law jargon, I  remembered reading about how, in the early 1800, the cases in court were prepared in a poetic manner.  How cool would that be? And would it make any difference for the judge or the jurors if minor cases were presented like that, I wondered, but that is probably a subject for another blog?

Maria Teresa shared with me other love poems written with legal lingo, and as she did, my curiosity grew. How did she get to be a poet after being a practicing lawyer and journalist?

Well, the story became part of this blog!

Maria Teresa’s love affair with words began at an early age, nurtured by her father’s fondness for reading.

Immersed in the works of literary giants like Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre from a young age, Maria Teresa’s first writings naturally centered around love, a topic that often ignites the poetic fire within.

After college and beyond her pursuits as a journalist and lawyer, Maria Teresa also excelled as a university teacher. That is when she felt the call to write poems: to motivate her law students in the art of presenting winning cases to the judges.

But as her professional career was very demanding, once again the art of writing was left hidden in one of her “hope chests”.

It was during the recent COVID pandemic, that Maria Teresa found solace and rejuvenation in writing . A combination of newfound free time and the experience of a love breakup allowed her creativity to flourish. Virtual literary gatherings and literary circles introduced her to like-minded individuals who shared her passion for the written word.

During that time, she wrote more than she had ever done before.

The last few years before the Covid-19 pandemic, she was working as a volunteer supporting women victims of violence.  To further support this cause, she started writing simple deep poems to encourage women to speak up or to move forward regarding their circumstances.  

No wonder her recent acclaim has come from her compelling work in supporting women’s rights and combating gender violence. Maria Teresa’s upcoming book, aptly titled “When Scars Become Verses,” has already garnered nominations and awards. This powerful collection serves as a catalyst for encouraging women’s rights and amplifying the voices of survivors. Her deeply introspective verses are a testament to her unwavering commitment to this crucial cause.

When I called her to interview her for this blog, she was reading aloud a poem to her cat, Samir Elias,  who according to her, “Loves to listen to her poems, and it is the first critic to her drafts”. 

“Samir is not only a beloved companion but also provides me invaluable feedback on my drafts” She assured me. This beautiful connection exemplifies Maria Teresa’s deep emotional bond with her craft.

While the world was making a forced pause due to Covid19, she made her own one to reevaluate her life. It was then when she took the decision to devote the rest of her life, to do the things she loved the most:  writing poems, sharing them, meeting people, dancing and promoting culture at all levels.  She is currently a CIESART Cultural Ambassador.

And that is her life now. She no longer deals with lawsuits or radio transmissions, instead, she is as busy as ever taking part in many literary events and writing new poems…

“I write about everything now” She says, “ I am in love with loving”.  ‘And that makes me write erotic poems and sad ones too.”

One of Maria Teresa’s current initiatives is to get people to read poems to persons with health situations, especially those in hospitals etc.  According to studies, this contributes to alleviating pain and promoting healing. 

Through her efforts, Maria Teresa seeks to harness the therapeutic potential of poetry, bringing solace and inspiration to those who need it most.

So when you are in emotional pain from a breakup and you find yourself out of words to express it or to have that closure with your ex-loved one, reach out for one of Maria Teresa Aristizabal’s poems.

And if the pain is physical or you are enduring some sickness, then get someone to read aloud a few poems as it is proven to contribute to the recovery process.

Thank you for reading my blog. I would love to hear your comments and your stories.

Remember to follow me in social media @JBRadiant and via my website www.JulesHeartly.com