What happened to the trees

The leaves are all dead

Roots in parched ground dried and unfed

What happened to the trees

Just skeletons of the past

Once they were green, the jungles large and vast

What happened to the lakes

The water's still, a murky brown

An empty can floating through a pool of toxic waste

What happened to the lakes

The streams which fed them have since gone dry

Temperature's rising, the lake-beds now are fried

Floating through the atmosphere like a wounded bird in flight

Wondering what has happened to our world

As far as the eye can see, there is no sign of life

A stark and barren landscape -- is this just a dream

What happened to the sky

The orange haze brings a tear to my eye

A sea of cars fills the air with monoxides

What happened to the sky

Rainfall of acid from clouds of pain

The temperature's rising, I think I'm going insane

What happened to the land

Industrial farming was the ultimate plan

No more grain but the tractor still remains

What happened to the land

Overploughed and underplanned

Overproduction has turned the earth to sand

Floating through the atmosphere...

I awake in sweat, letting out a scream

Realising my vision was only a dream

Crying through the night as I thought about our world

Because this dream someday can become a reality

Because this dream someday can become a reality

Because this dream someday can become a reality

Because this dream someday can become a reality

(Russell Ives; ©1994 Naked Earth Productions)