healing the world with poetry
the planet's heating up
what the fuck -BIG OIL- is going on?
the rebels rising in the streets
poetry imposing on these peeps
the heatwave, the flood, the drought
the more I look, the less I see to rhyme about
is climate poetry over?
should I leave this alone?
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
I want to help to keep this world at +1.5 degrees
dying coral in acidifying seas, their levels rise
and I fear that poetry won't help, and the fear is not unfounded
spitting like a teenager who's been grounded
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
if you wake up in a house that's overheated
don't panic, call me and I'll have my climate poetry repeated
and I fear that poetry won't help, and the fear is not unfounded
all these climate risks, and they tend to be compounded
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
oh shit, should I stop writing climate poetry
should I be marching, protesting solely? No!
I know what I’ve got to do
I'm healing the world with climate poetry
the planet's heating up
what the fuck -BIG OIL- is going on?
the rebels rising in the streets
poetry imposing on these peeps
the heatwave, the flood, the drought
the more I look, the less I see to rhyme about
is climate poetry over?
should I leave this alone?
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
I want to help to keep this world at +1.5 degrees
dying coral in acidifying seas, their levels rise
and I fear that poetry won't help, and the fear is not unfounded
spitting like a teenager who's been grounded
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
if you wake up in a house that's overheated
don't panic, call me and I'll have my climate poetry repeated
and I fear that poetry won't help, and the fear is not unfounded
all these climate risks, and they tend to be compounded
should I be rhyming in a time like this?
oh shit, should I stop writing climate poetry
should I be marching, protesting solely? No!
I know what I’ve got to do
I'm healing the world with climate poetry
Notes
In 2021, Bo Burnham released his comedy special Inside. This poem builds on a song from that special and explores the meaning of poetry when pursuing climate action.
Audiogram
In 2021, Bo Burnham released his comedy special Inside. This poem builds on a song from that special and explores the meaning of poetry when pursuing climate action.
Audiogram