All around us the country burns.
Smoke folds the stars in its rancid shroud.
All around us, sirens,

the barking of dogs. The cops
drive-by in their tanks and no one is saved. 
We stopped the rain from falling ourselves.

We poisoned the wells ourselves. 
We set the fires ourselves –
and then when God refused

to put them out
we lined up all the professors
and shot them in the head. You don’t want

my advice – nothing I’ve said
has ever been right – but here’s what I’d do
if I lived back then: fall in love –

no, really in love. Drink if you want to.
Give your children whatever they want.
Live like tomorrow will never come –

and, if you’re lucky, it won’t.

Jon Loomis is the author of three mystery novels and three books of poetry. He teaches English at UW-Eau Claire. “Note from 2050” previously appeared in The Mansion of Happiness and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

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