Martin Powell is a socially engaged, young poet who challenges us profoundly and blows away all our cobwebs. Here we present his poem Global Warning which featured at the beginning of the CNN/YouTube Climate Debate in 2009. He has written and performed poems for Resurgence events and conferences and is a rising star in poetry circles.
Global Warning
Tsunamis sweeping across the deep seas
Hurricanes howling with deafening breeze
Earthquakes shaking our tectonic plates
Volcanoes erupting round Earth as it breaks
Dinosaurs died and allowed humans to stand
Millions of years changed the face of the land
A new world was born and with life it did flourish
Enough natural resources to keep us all nourished
For a long time the humans and Earth were as one
We drank from its rivers, bathed in light from the sun
The soil was rich, and ideal for seeds
The planet attended to all of our needs
But Earth for its pleasures could not comprehend
The mentality of its so newly found friend
We used and consumed without fear, or care
We scarred and we butchered a beauty so rare
Poisoning oceans and chopping down trees
Relaying landscapes to build as we pleased
Taking for granted our grand evolution
Seeds that were planted replaced by pollution
Have you not wondered why it’s so called Mother Earth?
Throughout all of history it has given birth!
This bluish green ball gently floating through space
Has potential for life quite like no other place
It gives and it gives and has nothing to ask
To treat it with love and respect is our task
For the moment the future we can’t comprehend
Is the world that we know may soon come to an end
But there is still some time to undo what’s been done
Requiring our species to all act as one
With wind turbines turning and running on air
Solar panels sourcing our sun’s constant glare
We could cut our emissions and clean up with care
Make it our mission to heal and repair
Salvage and save for all that its worth
Secure our existence as people of Earth
Global Warning © Martin James Powell 2008
To read more of Martin's poems visit: martinpowellpoetry.blogspot.com/ Or watch Martin read a selection of poems here: youtube.com/user/spokenwordnerd
