[Newspoetry] pointed questions

[DL Emerick]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050606I.shtml

Pointed Questions on Iraq Often Come From "the People," Not the Press

 

Once upon a time,

And not so long ago,

But forever before,

It was absolutely true,

Almost, so I think,

That reporters knew that

The questions in their mouths

Ought to be already out there,

In the minds of the people,

Not an insider's dope-quest.

 

News meant to answer questions,

Not to solicit spinning explanations,

The rationalizations of Rumsfeld,

The justifications of Bush-Cheney.

 

News ought to report what is there,

Not why it is there, a matter of opinion.

 

But reporters got educated,

Thought of themselves as scholars,

Thought to be a part of government,

A Fourth-Estate Generalist of It All,

And, so, news became history-like,

With explanations and arguments.

 

Simply asking simple questions,

Like what was happening

Or going to be happening

Out there in the lives of the people,

What were they thinking about,

As questions needing answers.

 

A press conference has no news,

Not these days of non-home-spun lies,

For people never wants to hear lies,

Just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts,

Tell us what's happening, 

Tell me no whys anymore,

For I am wise to your lies.

 

You speak for me, oh news representatives,

Speak the truth of questions on my mind.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/newspoetry/attachments/20060507/83283b88/attachment.html