The Televsion

"In the War on Poverty, Dad ...

tell me, what did you do?"

A young son asked his grey father,

who stared down at his shoe.

"Son, I was paid by the Rich Man;

his commands I fulfilled,

and there was this War on Terror

in which Poor Folk were killed.

"I worked in retail

(that was my detail)

and products were sold.

This was the New War!

Money bought New Law;

the Cold War was old ...

"I did it for you, son, for you and me;

for God, country and the economy."

"Dad! You ought to feel shame

that you were complicit!"

"Yes ... but it bought us this telly

in front of which you and I sit."

                                                    (c)Frank Rooney