Maryam Daftari

Glaciers weep into the sea, unseen tears, as it rises one degree,
the polar bear mourns swallowed shores, as it rises one degree.

Fields whose flowers danced in the sun, now lie wilted and bare,
a thirsty earth gasps for rain, as it rises one degree.

Forests, once a verdant sanctuary, now flame and smoke,
ablaze with despair, dreads of evacuation, as it rises one degree.

The sea, a cradle of storms, births giants in its depths,
their fury unleashed on land, as it rises one degree.

Coral kingdoms, vibrant with life, now pale and still,
their colors fade, as it rises one degree.

Grains that fed nations, wither in their fields,
harvests of hunger reaped, as it rises one degree.

Permafrost exhales ancient ghosts into the sky,
a cycle of warming locked, as it rises one degree.

I remember the sound of laughter in my neighborhood walks
now I hear hushed fearful concerns, as it rises one degree.