Steven Herrick - Climate change

Climate change
by
Steven Herrick

when the sea levels rise
the Arctic cap melts
and we all, tearfully,
wave goodbye to the polar bears
and the Pacific Islands,
when storms batter our conscience
and tornadoes, out of season,
uproot the mango trees,
when raging floods
drown our riverside houses
and Aunt Emma,
when it snows in summer
and our crops lay frozen
in the fields,
when millions of refugees
are lost at sea
or starving on land,
remember that in the Year 2013,
we were more concerned about
gas prices
the new iPhone
school fees
and who was going to win
American Idol.

©Stephen Herrick. All rights reserved.

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I think that Steven Herrick has come up with some of my favorite book titles ever: Love, Ghosts, and Nose Hair and My Life, My Love, My Lasagna among them. Who wouldn't pick up those novels? Exactly my point. You can see a full listing of titles - YA novels-in verse! Books for younger! Books for adults! - at his website... where you should also check out the links to videos of him performing (including 10 Things your parents will never say to you - again with the great titles!).

I think today's poem shows how some themes are universal... and that a poet's eye and ear know no geographical boundaries. Steven is from Australia, yet I'm posting his poem here in the U.S. on Earth Day because, well, talk about driving a point home with a timely, true bit of crisply worded, perfectly observed verse. Doesn't matter where the poem's written: we can all relate.


Yes, that's another thing to add to the list of what Greg loves about poetry! And in this specific case, when I got this poem in my inbox, it was yet another reason I was so excited to have Steven Herrick here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday, Maria Testa gave us First Game Ever, Perfect. Tomorrow... Renée LaTulippe with A Council of Cats! For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.