Art and poem by Daniel Liu, age 16, New York.

Wind blows from the four corners of the earth

With the roar of a thousand lions

The house stands in the aftermath

Partially caved in

The family laments their loss

Mother Nature will not be denied

Ink pens scratch on paper

Now their fate is in the hands of companies

Premiums and deductibles

The economic jargon of insurance

When it is time to cover damages

They cringe and make excuses

The desperate family feels the vicious sting of betrayal

When Insurance blacklists the entire zip code

Businessmen reassure themselves of their morality

Accepting this debt will only cause their bankruptcy

But what of

The newborn baby, still fresh from the womb

The elderly grandparents, who have worked decades to afford the house

The first casualties of the consequences of the war humans wage on the planet

How long must the injustice go on

How many icebergs must melt

The gushing stream of the Earth’s blood

Will overwhelm us if change is not forthcoming

Daniel Liu adds:

“I am a sixteen year old writer that lives in New York. I am very passionate about the issue of climate change, as it is an enduring issue that grows ever larger with each generation and is deserving of attention from all of society. These poems are a testament to the various consequences of climate change in every aspect of society, from agriculture to insurance. To this extent, I hope that these poems are enough to inspire a sense of alarm for the Earth’s future, but just as importantly, hope that humanity can unify in order to reverse the ecological damage that has been done. It is in times of great crisis that innovation and change are at their peak, and humanity’s resilience is shown through our uplifting moments.”