April 15 Lament Watching the News
While watching the news
I am constantly lamenting
The sad state of political discourse
In these increasingly
Disunited United States of America.
Where we have retreated into enemy tribes
Blue, red, and purple states
With each convinced their tribe
Is righteous, patriotic, and pro-American.
Accusing the other tribe
As anti-american fascists
plotting to set up a dictatorship.
Some talking darkly
about Civil War 2.0.
That is my daily lament
Particularly when insomnia
Steals slept from me
At 0 dark hundred.
Channel Five calls mayoral candidate Goots a bully.
He is referred to as the AntiChrist on Channel Three
Someone on the air yells “liar, liar, pants on fire.”
This is the best news we find on our 2023 TV.
Channel 9 brings in an alert. with a gasp and a shout.
Stay away from your windows, a shooter is out.
The news anchor of NBC2 is lying on the sidewalk, laid out.
She has probably been shot, is there any doubt?
Hello worldly watchers, welcome to American TV
Where the lies are plenty, and carnage is brutally carefree
Facts don’t mean anything to our anchors any more.
You can purchase alternative facts at the store next door.
The hillbillies in the south only listen to their one station.
They don’t even bother with news when on vacation.
The haughtiest rich ones in the north don’t believe anything at all.
A shooter? No worries. There will be more in the fall.
Besides, it might be a rumor. We like to throw stuff up quick.
buying into rumors, lies, and gossip, we Americans lay it on thick.
Chet Huntley and David Brinkley would have a huge fit.
If they could hear what comes out of the normal TV anchor nitwit.
I held him high above my shoulders
and watched them call "The Cat!"
The News being quick to show him off
for what was called "The Fat!"
Then told him that he'd made the News
for what it was to act -
A crazy, common scary way
of what it was to fact -
That all good News has cheered you up
for what has come to man
When calling you depressed all day
and keeping to the plan
That making News for all the world
is lacking in it's means
When all your cats are not ignored
for what is left to scenes
That even News can spread the views
for ratings that go down
When even cats can see the world
as what it means to frown
Let me not be so distracted by the nay-sayers
For whom everything seems to be doomed,
With those who rely on holier-than-thou prayers
Help me not to allow myself to be consumed.
May I find myself giving out optimistic strokes
Looking for the good even when things are sad,
I want to take an Anne Frank approach, folks,
Even if things turn out to be unbearably bad.
Truthfully, things aren’t as devious as many think,
Just because some things aren’t going their way
Our country is not teetering on disaster’s brink,
Save that cliched trophe for a more gloomy day.
As I see it, we’ve had far too much distraction,
Polarization, divisiveness, unadulterated lying,
Leaders relying on their own self-satisfaction,
Unwilling to consider other ways worth trying.
Can we not consider the outside possibility
That we have relied on purveyors of fake news
Who brought us many rumors told willy-nilly
With badly skewed and worthless views?
written December 12, 2021
....BREAKING NEWS
BREAKING NEWS......
Bye, Bye, Chris Cuomo!
Gee, no tears will be in my ale!
Such be the high cost,
To keep brother, Andrew out of jail.
Now, you can both go to MSNBC!
And with Rachel Maddow ?
You will be twins of news frivolity.
John Malone headed to clean up CNN.
Good luck, Malone, there are more to
fire, for sure, before then.
We need news not mean, vicious
propaganda.
To dance and drink lemonade, finally,
on a truth constructed news veranda.
***John Malone.John was the head of a
huge cable company years ago.
He is a man of integrity. I used to work
for him. Best wishes to CNN.
John runs a tight ship!PR
12/4/2021
News media’s job is to report what happened
Tell me
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE!
Please refrain from editorializing
and, certainly, from undue sanitizing
We do not need a lot of commentary
from folks who want us to believe the contrary
FROM THE LEFT,
FROM THE MIDDLE,
FROM THE RIGHT!
Scrupulously tell us the truth, I say.
If I want a journalist’s opinion, for goodness sakes,
I will read the editorial page.
Or, skim through the pages of USA Today.
Hey, I am not stupid.
I heard what was said.
I can figure out the WHY!
written July 4, 2021
Watching the News with Dismay
Every day watching the news with dismay
Politicians around the world lying
While poor people lie dying
The rich get richer falsifying
The poor lie dying
The politicians lying
With the economy tumbling
The rich get richer stumbling
The poor lie dying
The New's makes it look like everyone's dying.
The New's makes it look like nothing's alright.
And when you should watch it, you wonder who's dead-
than what could your Newscast have showed you instead.
And you go to your window and look out to see,
when surprised by the living that walk by with glee.
That you show off your smile that says their alive.
and you go on with living with others who thrive.
That you say life's worth living and feel for their love-
that the News wouldn't show you and built their lies of.