Current Affairs

Inspired by poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s interview on PBS Newshour

I craft political verse,

pulling poems from

headlines, newscasts, e-mails…

Covering breaking news, I’ve discovered,

is apt to break you.  There are so many

approaches to random violence, abused children,

and societal bigotry one can take before damage

accrues to the soul.

Especially after reading

what resembles too many retellings
of the same story.