Newsmen of our World

Newsmen of our World
by
Tom Roach

Newsmen of our world
are extremely lucky.
They have the Olympic Games
upon which to report.
Nothing else is happening.

Oh sure, two Syrians met and killed each other.
People got their rocks off
cursing and swearing at those who should be their friends.
In Indonesia,
a volcano destroyed an island, costing many lives.

While here at home,
a teenager killed three
because he was lonely
and filled with jealousy.

But all this pales in significance
when compared to THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
Nations compete for medals
and if they win, they are better than their neighbour.
(Actually, athletes compete, they represent humanity,
but are not countries. Do you understand?)

Lots of news is there.
Athletes show their humanness
when they slip and fall.
The more spectacular the crash
the better then the picture.

But really, there is nothing happening.
We move smoothly along
toward the sixth extinction,
the only one caused by ourselves.
The one I will never see.