The raccoons clinging onto metal trees,
eating from the trash that floats by-
a reality that passes our eyes
but our bodies and minds are seemingly
too slow to react
or maybe it’s the fact
that this blue marbled world
is dying
and we will fall with it.
The water has already
started taking over the metal forests-
the rusted trees half engulfed with murky substance.
It’s no longer a warning,
It's a threat that is being ignored.
The seagull hides
behind the aluminum leaves-
it’s afraid of the sea
and the fish that float belly-up in it-
is it already too late
to help save this planet?
The mosquitos thrive
like racism and poverty and carbon dioxide-
their bodies filled with hot blood-
curdling like volcanoes.
We will explode onto this Earth-
it is human hands
at the core of this disaster.
Our heat
is the thermometer of this universe-
rising each second
as we continue to ignore
the growing problem around us.
Writer's Note
When I first saw this painting, it appeared to me to be a painting of an apocalyptic world, where animals take refuge on metal structures to escape rising water levels. It was when I realized that this painting may be the reality of the future, I decided to write a poem based on it. This painting invokes a lot of emotions; fear about the future and slight anger that we have let this happen. In my poem I wanted to communicate these emotions by explaining how human actions may lead to this apocalyptic world.