T. V. Forget it.
I could never live in a house dominated by that box
of superfluous non-stop movies.
I’m glad we have agreed on that point.
When did entertainment become companionship.
Why has a box of images
taken the place of friendly gatherings around kitchen tables,
evenings of fine conversation and even church.
Staying inside four walls,
never breathing clean fresh air
while watching others enjoy a bubbling creek
or a family picnic.
Staring at images will never replace experiencing the reality
no matter how big the screen.
Our eyes alone will never replace what our skin feels and our noses filter.
Get up, turn it off.
Open the windows if the door is too far away.
Lean out, breathe in, look, real life is out there,
tragedy abounds everywhere
it need not be invented, portrayed or commentated.
©1995 Sharron R. McMillan
excerpt from “Reading Thoreau”
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