I remember in school learning about the smog-filled super cities
Only now to find the super suburbs just as bad
There are 2 trees outside that I treasure
Because there are only 2 species left, and I have the privilege of seeing both
The grass is sparse beneath them
Trying to soak up as much oxygen as they will allow me
The children I once dreamed of having are now a distant memory
Now that there is barely enough food for the survivors, how could there be any to spare for the ones not as strong?
The government cannot grow enough food for everyone, so we eat all we can grow ourselves to satisfy
I should be grateful that I’m still alive, but I cannot help but think back to a time that once was
When apples grew from trees
When wild blueberries could be found in the brush
Now all that can be found out there are trees of coke cans and towers of trash
I remember when we still had hope of minimizing global warming
People did not want to change their way of life
But now we are all forced to live like this
Amongst those in office who still deny these changes
The Lorax is my favorite movie
But now I cannot find even snail shells on the ground to barter with
For they went extinct long ago
I wish humans had gone extinct long ago
Then at least the animals would have had hope
I never got to see a real whale
Illegal whaling has now killed them all off
I dream about them sometimes
How free they must have been
How wide their world extended
Now my world extends only so far as the shop on the corner, as usage of cars has been put on hold until they can figure out a new fuel that makes emissions .2% better for the air
I wish I could have done more
The reason I chose my career was to stop things like this from happening
But one person next to giant generators seems very small
One voice amongst the whirr of machinery seems very quiet
Even one country means nothing against the other 194
For the next 10 years of my life before my lungs give out
At least I have my memories of life before
And the beauty of the Earth to take me away
With her soft forgiving hands
