Francis Christian
Saskatoon, Canada

Dust to dust and doom delivered

by newscasts dripping irony

in considered doses of despair;

feigning knowledge of ignorance,

feigning ignorance of absent panic

and knowledge from experts

claiming uncertainty.

But the web of knowledge weaves

chiffoned layers for me and you and John,

openly uncertain, uncertainly open

to imperfect measure of mortality.

Viral news tempered here

by tantrum of fierce competition

from other news summoned instantly.

I hear the grocer’s shelves are bare

I hear that the markets have dived.

A commercial consumes our screens

something about dog biscuits . . .

and then I hear as “breaking news”

that we are not to panic . . .

that since the last sip of coffee,

another four are dead.