The power and pain of tv

	You can see what you've done and failed to do instantly
	and there is vidoetape to replay this new found history
	rewinding thru choices of mercy and misery
	sent all over the world by everwatchful TV
	stated with the same tongue of each and every country 
	     for anybody who's nobody and wants to see
	     in order to cast the judgement of perjury or honesty
	     concerning the media's ego or biased personality
	     as it gossips decisions on the innocence of the guilty
	 while fellow citizens call in cash for concerts of charity
	 for farmers, africans, orphans, and others not so lucky
	 and only seconds away greed grabs in the name of ministry
	         stealing from stories of suffering and need for surgery
	         which are scattered around others about hunger and poverty
	         but now fingers on remotes grow tired and weary
	searching satellites for moments of hope and pity
	as scenes slam the face with crime after crime choking a city
	one or two wonder perhaps if only a button away is tranquilty
	where a guy calmly paints this and that in such nice greenery
	strong contrast with some special five star documentary
	    on the peacetime transition of the military
	    and what to do about all the leftover nuclear weaponry
	    while the six o'clock news showers the plight of the ex-enemy
	    flipping pictures of people struggling in newborn democracy
	      as corruption and mismanagement smash the world economy
	      and news specials scramble to air misfortunes of the trampled family
	only to be preempted by bone crushing Monday night masculinity
	where sports sneak above schools priorities of thought and literacy
	but cable counters with Discovery and Disney 
	      and seas where Cousteau and Calypso seek knowledge for glory
	      while on VH1 the Rainbow Warrior does battle with reckless industry
	          three channels away a news brief declares a ban on sales of ivory
	          results of reaction after several shows on elephants and ecology
	              ivory now following the fate of furs obsolete finery
	              meanwhile corporate CEO's storm PBS to lead the Green Rally
	   wrapped in stickers, slogans, and commercials so cutesy
	   attempting to cover past violations with megawads of money
	   as politician friends stand in prime time surrounded by dirty laundry
	smelling their abuses of power and sex trashing most of morality
  repenting as televisionland trys in vain to keep scores of fresh scandals in tally
some good old boys stumble running to sell, solicit, or steal the rights to a book or movie
	thank God extraterrestrials are receiving second hand episodes of  I Love Lucy 
	    instead of the current super hitech blockbuster mainstream of lunacy
	    with late night hosts talk talk talking about everything but the real story 
	      while backstage assorted comedians rehearse to make something seem funny
	      meantime musicians rerun it past everyone again in mono songs via MTV
	    and they all line up to do penance on CNN with good king Larry
	    the power and pain of tv
	it is not temporary
	so learn to take the best and worst of its reality

	 By Mark Borcherding 12-5-1992