At Six

Turn on the television
to watch
the morning news.

War.
Hate.
Death.
Disease.

Some celebrity gossip to cleanse the palette
before the cycle repeats
at six.

See the smiling politicians
promising the world,
but their world of promise is as
fake
as we are.
And though we call out their lies,
we lie to ourselves
all the same.

But it’s okay.
Tomorrow is another day.

Relax.
Keep scrolling.
Argue with strangers.
Unfriend your family.
Post another selfie
like you’re at the beach;
Maybe the one with the smug grin
from last summer.

And later,
when we tuck in the kids
and tell them that monsters
aren’t real,
we’ll smile too,
like the politicians
on TV.

But cheer up.
Relax!
We’re only human, after all.
Wind down and escape
reality
with reality TV

before the cycle repeats
at six.