Professor Tim Berkley
denim-wearing, flinty-eyed, fried-side of thirty
maverick climatologist from Albuquerque
lives in a trailer, drinks Wild Turkey
morose, brilliant, occasionally twerky
gets threatening letters from his wife’s attorney
falls down a well and winds up on a gurney
where he’s visited by….
Dr Helen McReary
hates small talk, loves horses, occasionally teary
avant garde, nobel prize for chemistry (nearly)
who loves Tim’s brilliant work sincerely
suddenly looks weary
says she’s got a theory
which galvanises Tim severely
so they…
race to warn President J R Gooming
who strides down corridors barking & fuming
as they warn him worldwide disaster’s looming
his generals finding the whole thing amusing
which Tim finds confusing
says it’s not just their worthless asses they’ll be losing
if they stick to the goddamn path they’re choosing
but they…
throw them both out
which is no doubt
the one move humanity could do without
just as the climate wheels about
hits the White House with a waterspout
and we zoom in as Gooming gives a shout
torpedoed by a truck-sized rainbow trout
and so begins…
a tumultuous, migrainous CGI fest
sinkholes, tsunamis, volcanoes and the rest
no end time fantasy unexpressed
people screaming as they’re gruesomely pressed
by falling office blocks east and west
but Tim and Helen do their best
to help the survivors clear up the mess
and then
we end…
with a sunset
the calmest, clearest, most beautiful yet
Helen and Tim in a yurt in Tibet
eating moss with a plain vinaigrette
with a comedy cross-eyed goat as a pet
Helen says Humanity’s paid its debt
Shall we start again? Tim says You bet!
The End
jim clayton 