Jenna Elaidy - Honorable Mention in Poetry
UCSD - International Relations and Public Law
“Billion Degrees” [SPOKEN WORD & POEM]
This heat wave got me losing my mind in a privileged kind of way. In a behind closed doors,
air-conditioned, two story home kind of way. In a does not affect me, don’t have to work outside,
can wear shorts kind of way. In a I don’t care about the polar bears, or the rivers, or the poverty
line way. In a when I’m dead I’ll be in a cushy coffin, with million dollar gold, and no debt way.
Die with my billions, give it to no one, build a space hotel way. Reduce my carbon footprint with
an electric motor, turn on a private jet engine way. Put on a suit and call climate change a hoax
way. Fund a sweatshop and say “At least I’m not the one sweating” way. Send them ice cubes
as a PR package. In a hey, might as well at this point call the earth flat kinda way. In a I am
going to fight the problem, but forget I am the problem way. In a million times more emissions
than the normal people, but hey at least I am making fancy cars way. In a we will solve climate
change, while also making ourselves richer way. In a we forget that we all die poor anyway.