All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance. – Will Rogers

I open my browser each morning,
Check in with curation-phone.
The pages are full of opinions,
With nothing new under the sun.

The newspaper too, where I find one.
A daily parade of the same.
The wag of the finger, the self-righteous tone,
Declaring the villain to blame.

The inbox as well, it is chock-full
Of siren songs: Eat-me and Drink.
Like Alice I blindly consume them,
And change the way that I think.

This molding is not to my liking;
It’s not even of my own choice.
When real information’s abandoned
In exchange for invidious voice.

The press is now propagandistic;
Agendas leap out to attack.
It seems like there’s no one to turn to
And certainly no turning back.

Our choices are clear, bright and simple:
The choice is between death and life.
One choice is the tightrope of freedom
The other a slippery cliff.

So turn off your lousy subscriptions.
Stop reading repetitive lies.
Stare out the window a moment or six.
And enjoy the truth that inspires.

‘You are what you eat’ said the writer.
It’s equally true for the heart.
Take care what you feed yourself – really.
Eat smartly, or be blown apart.

Distraction will lead to deception;
Delusion is not far behind.
Destruction will certainly follow,
In all those who keep themselves blind.

Such blindness may come from a smartphone,
Or earbuds we will not remove.
They create inhuman relation,
Replacing the flesh-and-blood kind.

A ‘wicked perverse generation’
The Christ called the men of his time.
A truth that is true in all seasons,
It holds in the days that are mine.

So I think I’ll go stare out the window,
Instead of the window within.
To see Him in His good creation,
And in my own freedom from sin.

The psalmist reports on the heavens,
How they speak of God’s wonderful love.
My own inner beauty reflects them,
And His grace means I’ve nothing to prove.

Image by Kaique Rocha via Pexels