All That Glitters . . . .

Look what’s on the box.

I bought myself a flat-screen TV,

with HDMI.

So I could see the world more clearly.

I saw the individual hairs on a lion’s

mane. The subtle melange of colours

within the Gobi desert landscape and

every droplet on flowers of manicured

Chelsea Lilies.

I watched the many sparkling eyes of a

tiny jumping spider as it stalked tiny flies

in a garden jungle and saw how it sucked

its victims to a tiny husk.

Viewed scything teeth of wolves on their kills.

I inspected unwanted wrinkles under

supermodels’ eyes. Worry lines on prime-

ministers’ faces. The defiant callous

expressions of Russian leaders and fear

on the faces of their cabinets.

I examined ragged edges of brightly painted

metal on fuselages ripped by explosives.

Suitcases laying in summer green grass and

the play of sunlight reflected from rivulets of

children’ blood trickling down dusty streets

of occupied cities.