Like bootcamp
where they drill
the idea
of who’s your enemy
and who’s your brother
what’s your nation
and who’s dispensable
into your head

the nonstop
news cycle
has created in us
militant behavior

we’re up in arms
and all of humanity
has become the casualty

we need a Mr Rogers
or a Jimmy Carter
or the Dalai Lama
as broadcasters
again

we need something
measured &
nonbelligerent
that we can ingest
and then chew on
for some time

not the force fed
talking head
war mongers
of CNN and Fox

whose headlines
are meant to hit our hearts
like bullets
reach and infect
every part
like chemical warfare

they know that
when you are attacked
it is only natural
to attack back

but what we need now
is to turn the other cheek
turn over a new leaf
and turn off
the damn TV