Re(a)d all Over

Re(a)d All Over

A friend asked what's white and black and red all over

And it wasn't zebras being poached in the Serengeti.

This afternoon I stepped out the porch and knew the sun was up despite the overcast skies.

In comfy pants I picked up the paper from the ground

and threw the plastic cover away and wondered how long it would live in landfill.

I filled up a reusable mug that caused toxic byproducts to rise into the atmosphere,

with sustainably-grown tea that went on two trucks and a ship to get to my city and into the mug.

I sat on the porch and opened up the paper.

The intentions were presented pure as white snow

They were only trying to warn us about

What a terrible person Rob Ford is, but I already knew that from my class.

Then a few pages later there was a picture of black smoke

And a header about rebels who took over an airport in Ukraine.

Something I didn't hear about with people I couldn't see

Because they were all painted black,

and it beat my heart until I was blue;

'Educated' yet none the wiser on what I could do.

Reading of red-stained acts and guilt that ran up the sleeves of people

With blood on their faces and teary bloodshot eyes staring through paper at me

Sitting in the nosebleed section of the world,

Watching it all go by at a distance.

The content was red all over,

The paper was read all over,

But for them it was still all over.

The paper was white for

The news that beat my conscience black and blue

Seeing all the red all over.

It's read it all over.

But it made nothing over.

Today I read the news and then nothing happened.