As the Sun pours its rays on Earth's dust
Airless clouds whirl in russet and rose
Rivers sink into cracks in the crust
Grasses burn as a dreadful wind blows

There were years when the mallows grew tall
Scarlet petals would sip on the dew
When the mist from a cool waterfall
Wetted rocks where the mosses once grew

Wading birds stalked their prey in the ponds 
That the beavers had fashioned from creeks
Lady ferns produced copious fronds
Made to moisten the wading birds' beaks

Lack of snow did away with the streams
Lack of plants led to ever less rain
We accepted extremer extremes
But we hoped for a less painful pain

We watch robins peck dirt to find food
In days past, they found worms everywhere
But as drought baked away plenitude
Easy meals grew increasingly rare

They say corn on the cob was a treat
That our grandparents ate long ago
Maize was bred to survive summer heat
But not hundreds of days in a row

Warming waters drove fish from the shores
And the size of the catches went down
Now we never find fish in the stores
Under ninety-nine dollars a pound

Steaming trucks inch along buckled roads
River barges lay trapped in the sand
Cargo pilots fly overweight loads
And then pray for a safe place to land

Global warming exceeded our fears
Now there's nothing the experts can do
All their warnings just fell on deaf ears
And the poets are drying... up... too...