How Do News Stories Enter Our Knowing?

How Do News Stories Enter Our Knowing?

1.
What do I do with the story when I read: “Thai general shot in the head”? I read it, and where do I file it? Does it become another weight of despair pulling on my arm? I see a shower of blood, a flower of red death blooming as if there were sudden rain in the desert. I see two armies with bayonets drawn. I hear the grief of mothers and children, and see the stiff countenances of warriors who can know only war. What isn’t war will break them apart in tenderness beyond reason. I see the oil spill in the Gulf eating up water, creatures and shoreline. And then we are in the kitchen where a family wanders through the house with cokes and stumble to their solo stations at televisions, computers and a game. The sun is settling lonely into the West. But brightens at the sound of human voice singing a song for the end of the day, for the sun’s journey.

2.
What do I do with the story when I read:
“Thai general shot in the head”?
I read it, and where do I file it?
Does it become another weight of despair
pulling on my arm?
I see a shower of blood,
a flower of red death blooming
as if there were sudden rain in the desert.
I see two armies with bayonets drawn.
I hear the grief of mothers and children,
and see the stiff countenances of warriors
who can know only war.
What isn’t war will break them apart
in tenderness beyond reason.
I see the oil spill in the Gulf
eating up water, creatures and shoreline.
And then we are in the kitchen
where a family wanders through the house
with cokes and stumble to their solo stations
at televisions, computers and a game.
The sun is settling lonely into the West.
But brightens at the sound of human voice
singing a song for the end of the day,
for the sun’s journey.

Joy Harjo

Posted over on Poetic Adventures in the Last World Blog
1. Joy Harjo's prose poem.
2. Line breaks by Glenn Buttkus