Presstitutes

1       Steering Clear

Unblushing pushers
proud-as-punch printers
                     of the money-power's
                     counterfeit picture

professional goodthink sticklers
at their strings-attached-incomes
              narrative-shepherding best;
registered members
              of the obedient media class

       are nothing if not adept
       at spinning whatever fictions
       their employers might request

mindful   ever mindful to steer clear
well clear of the truth   clear of logic
              clear of facts clear of proof

       as if all of these were known
                     landmine riddled zones.


2       Access / Scoop

Just  as there are no holes
                     so fathomless or foul
that certain craven slavish souls
       will not   into their bowels
              have themselves lowered

to feed and shower the devil's flowers
to gain or maintain  Faustian favour


there are no depths
       to which members
              of a compromised press
will   in serving power in lieu of truth
                            find too low to stoop

       to secure the sort of access
       that keeps their dreams alive
       of scoring some glorious scoop;

a scoop however  whose glory
is in no way derived
                     from breaking a story

but resides instead
in the landing  of a dandy raise in pay.