Vermont in 2050

The evergreens

The piney forests

The lakes and hills and mountains.

Today they're thriving

Well surviving

But what will it be like in 2050?

I see an image

Similar to today's.

Green everything

Though perhaps a little more decay.

Yes, global warming

Will heat it up

More forest fires, possibly

Though I'd hate to jinx our luck.

Mountains melting

Snow caps fleeing

Avalanches, muddy trails, et cetera.

I really, truly, honestly

Hope we get something better.

Vermont deserves fresh green forests

Lush and flush with canopy.

Sparkling yellow leaves in the autumn

And in the winter it's a total fantasy.

Snowy blankets covering the streets

Picturesque towns and shops.

I love this place, but I fear for it too;

How much longer will we need warm winter socks?

With things going the way they are,

With global warming ever-present

I'm worried Vermont won't be as I remember 

Twenty-six years from now.

Will we still need snow plows?

Will the planet heat that fast?

I don't want to find out.

And so, this ode

To our beautiful state

Of beaches and lakes and trees.

Mountaintop climbing

Riverside biking

And everything in between.