Karma’s a Funny Thing
Just when you think you got away
with it—BAM! It bites you in the ass,
your own misgivings. You did what
you did to serve your need, but your
need cheated the other; and LIFE
made a note in your File. One year,
two, three years; maybe four, five, or
a whole lifetime; but one day the Law
kicked in to reclaim what you stole
from the other. Karma’s a funny
thing. You can’t see it, but it serves
us more than the other.
Composed in Tiny Beaches,
Georgian Bay, Southcentral
Ontario
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
GENERATIVE AI COMMENTARY ON POEM
Orest Stocco’s poem explores Karma not as a mystical
mystery, but as a rigid, administrative "Law" of moral accounting.
The Mechanics of Debt: Stocco portrays the universe as an auditor. When the speaker notes
that "LIFE made a note in your File," it suggests a
permanent record of one's actions. The poem argues that while a person might
gain something by "cheating the other" to serve their own immediate
"need," they are essentially taking out a high-interest moral loan.
The Element of Time: The poem emphasizes the unpredictability of timing. By
listing years—"One year, two, three... maybe a whole lifetime"—Stocco
highlights that the lack of immediate consequences is not an escape, but a
delay. The "BAM!" serves as a stylistic shift, moving from the quiet
passage of time to the sudden, violent inevitability of the Law kicking
in.
The "Funny" Irony: The title and refrain, "Karma’s a funny thing," carry a dark,
ironic tone. The poem concludes that Karma actually "serves us
more than the other." This implies that its primary purpose isn't
just to punish the wrongdoer, but to maintain a universal balance and perhaps
offer a harsh form of personal correction.
