This Just In…

I want a radio news anchor’s voice
Booming. Precise. Certain. Strong.
A voice like God’s
Not like mine…
Shaky. Quivering. Uncertain. Faint.
Tripping over itself & uttering fragments
I want that radio news anchor voice
Who cares if it’s the voice of a 67 yr. old man
who has smoked his entire life
That’s the voice I want!
People would listen to me
I would listen to me
I would stand tall
Confidence would pour forth
That voice knows all things
Iwantthatvoice

Who even speaks that way anymore?
We’ve lost Paul Harvey, Chick Hern, & TV’s Walter Cronkite
Where are those authoritative voices upon which we had come to rely?
Now the voice that gives us entertainment “news” & celebrity gossip
also gives us the updates on tornadoes, earthquakes, & terrorism
The authority in that voice is missing
The poise. The drama. The reverence.
All lacking from the dude with the gel-spiked hair
& the chick in the spaghetti-strapped tank top

Give me the voice of Tom Brokaw & Dan Rather
& the radio announcers of yesteryear
diesel fuel, black coffee, & gravel
I want to sound like that!
And that’s the way it is.

—Stephanie Gibson

Part philosopher, part pragmatist, and part mystic, Stephanie’s writing most often makes observations about life’s contradictions and wonder; its pain and joy. Usually these take the form of narrative non-fiction and poetry. Her career path includes public and private sectors, group facilitating, journalism, and work with teens and young adults.