Why Do I Watch It?

“person sitting beside street” by Rod Long on Unsplash

It’s only a face
plastered across
the screen.

Does the face change
when it’s eight years
old, from southern
Afghanistan, with lethal
shrapnel in the forehead?

Twain, Einstein, and
Vonnegut pretty much
gave up on us violent hairless
super monkeys.

Is the Dalai Lama
still holding on or will he
soon throw in humanity’s
towel too? Will he
duct tape TNT to his
midriff and storm an
elementary school in
China?

Or maybe gunships, errant
missiles, and friendly fire
would be more effective
for dolling out unsympathetic apologies,
presidential denials, and the
prevailing democracy at
2600 miles per second diplomacy.

I could click the off the remote,
shut the computer down,
and burn the newspaper,
but I know these things will
still happen.

Maybe it’s better
to be awake and alert even
though I find myself crying
too often these days.

Why Do I Watch It? was originally published in Resistance Poetry on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.