Earth 2020

Fields of tall tan reeds dance in the morning breeze,
I reach out my hand to touch the drops of water which linger,
That wait patiently to replenish the earth below and,
Soothe it from the scorching, blistering heat of the day.

Glancing to the sky I wonder if it will rain,
But the clouds dissipate and vanish into the blue of the day.
A huge yellow ball rises over the horizon,
Pushing heat rays across the fields as it dries the hope of water.

Time is not a healer and the reeds begin to shrivel and die,
The earth turns to dust and winds carry it into the sky.
The fruit of the vine drops to the ground and rots in the heat,
Becoming a pile of smoldering pulp the animals won’t consume.

What has become of Earth, the bright light in the universe?
That place where water and soil give life.
What has happened to change its course?
To cause man to destroy our only hope of a future.

As Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon the Earth will survive,
People and animals will go extinct because of greed,
The water will turn to acid and the air will no longer produce oxygen,
We will have killed our home, our hope for a future.

The time is now, we cannot wait.
If we do not pay attention and influence change,
It will be too late to stop the ruin,
For us, our children, our grandchildren and life.

Cynthia L. Haltom
February 17, 2020