we were talking about the climate
and a ninety year old man
asked me
if i thought the world was coming to an end

he asked me this
and looked at me
with eyes that cared
deeply
what the future might hold

not for himself of course
but for his children
his grandchildren
his great grandchildren

so basically
he was asking if i thought that the climate would soon get so bad that everyone he loved
was going to suffer

this old man was looking to me
for an answer to this
and my answer
satisfied him
gave him comfort
and was not
a lie

it was a good day

m(___)m

——