TUNING IN LATE

She looked in his room,
And suddenly saw,
Something she never
Had quite faced before.
Her oldest had grown up,
Right before her eyes,
An innocent victim,
Inundated with lies.

He sat there, absorbed.
He did not see her staring.
Why, after all these years,
Was she caring?
He was fresh. He did things,
He would never have done.
He seemed like a stranger,
Yet he was her son.

Was he once really tiny,
A warm bundle to hold,
A pure, trusting neshama,
She had one chance to mold?
When he was little,
His face looked so sweet.
Once learning with his Abba,
Was his biggest treat.

Then oh so quickly,
He got “retrained.”
Now he just expects to get
Entertained.
And once his heroes were men,
Good and wise,
Now he picks his heroes,
By their muscle size.

But what could she do?
She asked desperately.
When the kids were all bored.
It sure kept them busy.

And there were some good shows.
What could be so bad?
How the children would nag her:
“Everyone else had!“

It made her life easier.
What could be so wrong?
She promised she’d never
Let them watch too long.

But it was such a help,
At the end of her rope.
It seemed more and more often, though,
She couldn’t cope.

Street fantasies poured in.
They’re lodged there – inside.
What she says hardly matters.
He has a new guide.

She looked in his room,
And wished she didn’t see,
That she let him get lost,
Just by watching T.V.

* * *
Bracha Goetz is the author of 16 children’s books, including Remarkable Park,The Invisible Book and Let’s Stay Safe!  She also coordinates a Jewish Big Brother Big Sister Program in Baltimore, Maryland, and can be contacted for questions, comments or presentations at bgoetzster@gmail.com.