THEY ASK IF I’VE SEEN THE NEWS
like it’s a lost dog, but really it’s impossible
to miss, it’s big the news, yet everyday they
insist on making more stories—floor after
floor, the news is tall, the news towers, it’s
hard to imagine stairs that only go up, but
what do you want me to say, mayday the ne
ws is breaking? we already know this, laugh,
drink white wine play Jenga
on a night in— pull from the bottom and
put on top build another story
make the news taller by breaking it
pull, make another story ask if
we’ve seen it if we’ve heard it
take the stairs never short
on materials just breath always extra
today to pull from just pull
the news will never break we’re sure
of it just breaking’s all just
one more flight to the top story wow
would you look at
the view
—from Rattle #82, Winter 2023
__________
Rami Farawi: “This poem started from me trying to add a shape to the news, a density, like something you could mine for every day, like it’s a natural resource. I guess, when I thought about it like that, I was amazed by how much energy we put into reporting on what’s happening, and by how we watch the news like we have no idea what is.”
