I was sleeping when the power went off
Naturally I thought at first my heart had stopped
And that this was what death is like
Total silence and pitch darkness
But after regaining my wits about me, quickly
I realized what had actually happened
It was too hot with too many air conditioners running
There are too many people living in total comfort
While too many others in parts of the world suffered
We were all power gluttons and are going to be punished
For all the sins we had committed in the name of progress
Against the environment and our planet Mother Earth
While we slept in our beds, polar ice caps were melting
Polar bears and penguins were becoming extinct
Or at best only finding themselves homeless
Fish were being boiled in warm ocean waters
While drought and famine starved the many birds
It is all due to our greedy and avaricious nature
To serve only ourselves to the bounty of others
We failed miserably as the caretakers of our world
Then I heard the beep...beep...beep of the fire alert
And the electric clock resetting the correct time via satellite
The television blinked back on and Jay Leno
Was still doing his monolog without a laugh track
Something about the hypocrisy of politicians flying Net Jet
While the rest of us were being forced to ride a bike
Reducing our 'carbon footprint' on the world
By purchasing 'carbon credits' from poor refugees in Uganda
Ahhhh.....alas, I could go back to sleep in peace
Knowing at least I was not immediately going to suffer
I mean I don't mind doing my part to help
As long as I don't have to be uncomfortable....

2007 © T Sheridan

Ted Sheridan

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/this-just-in-family-of-caribou-found-squashed-by-a-carbon-footprint/