09 April 2025

Apathy for Local News

Russia bombs Ukraine- 
1000 dead.
Earthquake in ASEAN- 
40O buried alive.

Crossfire in the border-
War is about to break.
Trump has put up
Sanctions- economy 
May tank.

What do you mean there's
A rape in next street?
What do you mean 
Three people died due to
Potholes this week?

Bring me a bone-chilling 
Disaster. An epidemic.
Bring me a recession.
At least a genocide or 
Plane crash with at least 
Hundred deaths.

Till it doesn't come up
In bold letters, heinous 
Graphic and an amped-up
Voice of a sold-out
Prime time anchor..

It's not news.
Not for me at least.

Suicides due to bullying. 
Child labour in a factory.
The broken roof of a
School in the village.
A dalit stone pelted--

How dare you expect me
To waste ounce of my
Sympathy on petty issues?

Give me a sex racket with
At least 200 minors involved.
Bring me a cave collapse 
With 100 trapped inside.
A train crash, a gas leak.
Better-- a pandemic.

Till the TV anchors and
Social media algorithms
Don't take up a pickaxe
To dig out my chest-
It's not news enough.

To damn with domestic 
Violence next door.
To damn with the cylinder 
Blast in the next street.
To damn with the honour 
Killing in the next village.

I've my Woofers On to 
Tone it all down for me and 
As of now I'm curious about 
What Jeffrey Dahmer does
In the next episode of
His Netflix series.