"FACINGFACES 2002 - 04" SELECTED POETRY (Part 2)

Television


I watch 'The Simpsons' as you fall,
Carson as you cry,
Sienfeld as the tanks roll
and cities crumble beneath the thunder of bombs.

I see the floods rage in the flashing light of the tube.
Babies cry with bellies bloated and lips caked with flies,
and I turn away not wanting to spoil my appetite.

I eat ice cream and chocolate
as a girl lies sold on a filthy bed,
beneath a fat man pumping
for an armful of snow white ecstasy.

I worry about love and fidelity
as a child is undressed by her step father,
felt with ice cold hands as her mother turns away.

Guns fire, poisons seep
trees fall and whales bleed behind the pretence of political lies,
while I play games on my computer
putting boredom to rest.

I laugh and watch football, drink beer as you fight for life,
nibble pretzels as cancer eats your body,
change the channel as hunger steals your soul.

I buy a lottery ticket
for a chance to escape this misery of mine,
watching your agony on my technicolour stage.
Stories to spoiled children, too sleepy to hear.

And will we in time, watch our grandchildren cry?
When the world in black smoke lays ruined beneath the dollars feet,
will we ask, how did it come to this?
Or will we see the villain staring
from hollow eyes in the reflection of a wooden box.

© James Cain - Usa