Good News Gone
(a response not in kind but in
its way from A Reading Writer—
Thanks, Rosema!)
There is an old Christian
Song at Christmas time—I’m
Sure such songs arise from
Other roots at other times
That serve this way as well:
Near the start, a word is
Given then repeated
News!
Song goes, News! News!
Not good or bad, it’s simply
News
As it turns out, this news is
Pretty good (Mister Thurber,
You can look it up), though
The draw is simply crying
“News!”
When was the hawking of
An event simply unqualitied
As news? When did we hear
News! and come to buy the
Paper from the child who
Holds an overburdened
Bundle?
We buy, we read, and then
We know virtue of the
Experience: happy, tragic,
Valorous, vice-filled
We wait to find out,
Withholding judgment and
News-buying, anyway
If reason proves itself
Through evidence, then we
Have an answer here
Wait, don’t rush, don’t judge
‘Til learning more—in fact,
Don’t judge
For learning stops with
Judging,
Must I confess
clcouch123 
April 13, 2016 at 12:16 am
Yes!! We often take “good” from the news, and it simply loses its purpose. We want to win the argument but we end up losing the person.
These words are true and may the truth ring in our ears, to listen more than speak.
April 13, 2016 at 6:24 pm
I’m thankful for the closeness (as in detail and in good-feeling) in your response. Hope you’re well, Dajena!
April 14, 2016 at 2:52 am
🙂 🙂 yes, very well!
April 13, 2016 at 1:46 am
That seems to come with news, the judgement in one form another. A judgement of the victim, a judgement by the reporter, judgement by the people watching the news at home, or the judgement/opinion of a journalist. A judgement of the accused, guilty even though he’s innocent. Or the victim for standing up and telling when he/she was raped/abused. Can we help but judge? I don’t know, sometimes it’s hard to know when you know you’re only getting bits of info and not the whole story. I think you say this well but simpler and better in your poem. Perhaps, we need to leave the judgement to God?
April 13, 2016 at 6:29 pm
Well, I think judgment of souls should be (it is, anyway) left to God who judges perfectly. I think we have to make assessments and decisions accordingly in life. I think we should withhold doing this without knowing more than a flash of facts, so-called. All is agenda, so I think getting and looking at perspectives rather than a single view is smart. And then there are values to employ generally, as well, such as victims deserving voice. Your response is deeply thoughtful. Thanks for that!
April 13, 2016 at 2:16 am
“When was the hawking of an event simply unqualitied as news?”
Yes! SOOO much of news is NOT news. But…this is my judgement. Hmm… 🙂
April 13, 2016 at 6:30 pm
Yes, but you’re applying reason and intelligence as well. If we must judge, best to do it smartly. Thanks!
April 13, 2016 at 3:05 am
Your response is deeper than the poem you are responding, too. I am saying this in all honesty. 🙂 You are a wise man and your poems always prove your mind’s depth. This is thought-provoking, yet still creatively crafted. The pauses, the line breaks, the rhythm, they make this piece a worthwhile read. 🙂
P.S.
Love these lines so much:
For learning stops with
Judging..
April 13, 2016 at 6:35 pm
I can only be supremely grateful for your commenting on choices that I make and often struggle over. As for wisdom–as an insight from you, I’ll take it (emoji-big-smile). As for judging cancelling learning, yeah, I think that’s what happens. Even in court, judgment ends further exploration and examination.
April 14, 2016 at 2:27 am
Take it all, you deserve them! 😀
That is so true. The last line of your comment reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird. It’s for me, one of the best examples of judgment ending learning.
April 15, 2016 at 8:51 pm
You put me in extraordinary company. Harper Lee. Only if you’re there, too, Rosema!
April 13, 2016 at 3:07 am
Very well defined!! I loved this whole prose!! A reality we face nowadays!! 😀
April 13, 2016 at 6:37 pm
Thank you! And too true about your insight. We do face the reality of rushing to bad news–and rushing to judgment.
April 14, 2016 at 4:09 am
Yes yes.. truly thank you fr this amazing poem! 😉