I strain my eyes in astonishment
At my old TV screen
News headlines stretch and they stretch
Of lack, disease, and death
Hopelessness stings the air
Anxiety clouds the skies
The panicked cadence of unsteady footsteps
The hurried breathing of the newly insane
The sweat-soaked shirts of dads in mouldy rooms
And listless mums staring for hours into empty cupboards
When you see desperation tear at the soul it is an unbearable thing to watch
Pale faces and teary eyes lift to the heavens
Petitioning god or the universe for mercy, mercy
But none came
And still the headlines stretch and they stretch
More lack, more disease, more death
Until a horrible thing happen
The headline reel finally snapped
And so did the spirits of men
The struggle ensued between rope and chair
Between balcony and the sweet ground below
How can you blame them?
When faced with
Closures without closure
Deaths without funerals
Life emptied of its last drop of hope
Meagre hearts thrice broken
The hand that feeds withers, failing to feed even itself
The president saw the headlines break
In his palatial bed chambers
A mere inconvenience to be fixed
He ordered the headline reel to be repaired
And sure enough, it jumped back to life
And repeat, they repeat
Of lack, disease, and death
Lack, disease, and death.
All better.
