Newspaper Obituary

And so another regional newspaper
Bites the dust,
An apparent dinosaur
In the digital age,
A relic of a
Bygone era.
It died a slow
And painful death,
Brought on by
Anemic circulation
Sharply reduced
Advertising revenue,
Rising costs,
Competition from
Television news,
And strangulation
By Internet news
And classified services.
People now have choices
They never had before.
They can get
All the news they want
Through their computer
Or cell phone.
The paper is no longer needed
For editorials,
For sports results,
For local happenings,
For job listings,
Or for any of the other
Services the newspaper
Once provided.
Young boys no longer
Have the opportunity,
As I did when I was young,
To get up
In the early hours
Of the morning,
Wrap the papers
And deliver them
By bicycle
To local residences.
Much is lost
As much is gained
In the changing
Of the Times.