I tune into The News to escape my reality—
to not separate myself from the gravity
of situations that I’m told
are too heavy to bear—
to be made abundantly aware
of the forever impending doom and despair.

People of whom I never knew nor heard—
dying, surviving, killing, killed,
hanging onto every hypnotic word.

And in the Spring now just gone
I can so clearly recall
a cardigan worn,
the heating still ran
in ‘The Hottest May
Since Records Began’.
But something I simply cannot
bring to mind,
is the last time we saw,
for more than a few hours, our Sun.

They say everything,
everywhere, everyone,
is failing—
the economy, our health—
the roofing and flooring
of the very Earth itself
is to supposedly fall
onto and beneath each and all
of us soon.

So when will it come?
Eventually, so I hear,
in my lifetime—
perhaps then next year,
or ten from now,
or even twenty.
I’ve seen that very same line
retold plenty.

People should always be pragmatic
in the programming they choose,
so tune in at breakfast,
and too at midday,
to the six o’clock,
nine o’clock
and ten o’clock News.

And The Weather of course.

© Joseph Chin
#thenews #satire #fear