Turn Around, You Left Your TV On

I had left, then came back
to what he promised me.

The world had been so mean, nasty--
like a bird I needed a nest.

An escape from dramas, murder and mayhem, so I thought...
Just wanted to sit at home in peace with my love.

So I walked into a room
with a dead man seated on the sofa
eyes glued on the TV.

He didn't hear me when I called out,
told the idiot his food was ready.
He was too busy watching the box.

The phone had rung
someone had died
I had cried
wiped the tears from my eyes
started to speak
but he was watching another woman's tears.

The game is on
The news was on
The reality show will be on.

It's never a good time to interrupt.

I started to reach out to hug him
but he was rushing to get a snack
to get back to the couple on the screen making love.

The TV had enslaved his mind, he was dumb
and numb with feet bound for hours!

TV kept the fool indoors like an elderly man
in a hospice while I kept the food and drink coming.

He's still young
but he will be old real soon
then what will he do?

Hours of chaos and death
can't be good for any man's soul.

Minutes of companies
begging for yet another dollar.

Seconds of tunes
to penetrate dreams.

I told him I loved him
he said, "what?"
I told him I hated him
he said, "huh?"
I told him I was leaving him...
he got up.

Turn around, you left your TV on.

Nicholl McGuire