Solastalgia

Solastalgia is a neologism formed by the combination of the Latin words sōlācium (comfort) and the Greek root -algia(pain, suffering), that describes a form of emotional or existential distress caused by environmental change. I stumbled upon this word in the Author’s Note section in a work of fiction titled “The Book of Fire” by Christy Lefteri.

I miss those dark mysterious woods

Wherein lie many memories of my childhood

The thick tree cover, the freshness of air

Thinned out over time, but I was unaware

That the woods as I knew them had disappeared

Claimed by forest fires due to climate change weird

Forests are supposed to regenerate but I do not know

Whether scorching temperatures would allow trees to grow

In the same manner as they did before..

I mourn the woods as I behold the charred forest floor..

*

The White Christmases of my childhood are no longer a certainty

I pray for snowfall during holidays, but its unpredictability

Has left me agonizing over my source of livelihood

I keep wondering if at this point I should

Forget about dog sledding in this touristy place

Every winter increasing uncertainty I face

Regarding my income, I miss those years

When there was abundant snow, I did not have to fear

Not having enough business, nor having enough

To feed my team of dogs- warm winters are tough

*

Watching out for flood warnings has now become routine

Melting glaciers can unleash floods previously unseen

I should count myself lucky that I am still alive

There are near and dear ones who did not survive

Amid threats of drowning, famine and diseases tropical

After losing my house, I just gambled for survival

Wistfully I remember the days when Monsoon would arrive

We would celebrate it, our crops would thrive

Now the Monsoon season brings anxiety severe

As catastrophic flooding we constantly fear

*

In a classroom we do practice drills for a heatwave

We need to educate vulnerable children how they can save

Themselves and their pets from succumbing to heat excessive

It is surreal because in a temperate climate we live…

*

Climate change is no longer a concept distant

It is affecting people’s home environments

Causing significant anxiety and stress

It is a global problem that must be addressed