Cat in a box. Metaphor in a poem.

“I must be cruel, only to be kind.” – William Shakespeare

For this is journalism:
X was true, but Y wasn’t,
Here a church, there a prison.

Instead, Jackie’s in a box,
A topological hex,
That kills as often as unlocks.

No virtue in believing
A song that may have been sung
By she who may be living.

Some truth is not subjective
Though it remains elusive.
Discernment’s our objective.

No one’s doing us favors
By diagnosing fevers
Without taking temperatures.

Empathy’s not a virtue
When orphan facts come calling:
Activist or reporter.

Featured Image Christmas Cat in a Box by Brian Fagan on Flickr

Numbers is a weekly news commentary column in poetical form by Curt Hopkins. “Numbers” is an historic term for poetry, and also alludes to the numbers in programming. 

Categories: Activism, Communication, Crime, Feminism, Journalists, Media, News, Numbers, Poetry