It is 25 years in the future
Environmental abuse and the burning of fossil fuels
Have effectively doubled atmospheric CO2 levels
Creating a greenhouse effect
Of strength unknown in historical times
Global temperature rises
Have caused accelerated melting
Of the Earth's glaciers and polar ice caps
Preventative measures against massive flooding
Have been unrealistic and poorly constructed
New York City is typical of cities all over the world
That part which is not completely submerged
Is a network of festering stagnant pools
Percolating in a blistering heat in humid air
Day by day, the sound of buzzing flies
Has become more and more pronounced