Barbara Walters' career
outlasted the acceptable use
of the term "newswoman".
She rose
from pouring tea
as a "Girl"
on the Today show
in the 60s
to becoming synonymous
with being a willing listening ear
to the noble
and the vile
and the morally dubious.
Then she was a measured
thoughtful contributor
on her all-female
daytime discussion show
(more than a PC
demographic cross-section
meant to nominally satisfy
some quota
for tritely-chattering ladies
visibly on-screen)
"The View".
And contrary
to popular memory
Katharine Hepburn was the one
who herself brought up
that she "felt like a tree".
What response
can a good interviewer give
but to ask her
"What kind"?
This poem © 2014 Emily Cooper.
