! ! Some Musings On Journalism Poem by Michael Shepherd

On the scale of public aspiration,
‘journalist’ comes second bottom to ‘politician’
- in Britain; whereas in France, it
comes second top after ‘author’…

to be interested in everything, by this calling;
to be interested in everyone, by this calling;
now that’s a calling worth responding to:

to ‘interview’ by asking a first question;
to listen to the very end of answer
until in the silence after the last word,
the next question emerges in the mind; thus

to question so that enthusiasm’s touched;
and in the person who confronts you,
the glow of heart’s true love brings all the light of self
to make the room a timeless temple of humanity;

to have an interview end as such a blessing; and so,
as one exchange of heart returns to being two people,
switch off the recorder, close the notebook;
with glory-lit and humble, slightly moist eye.