Here is a draft of the poem I was writing (with help from my 7 year old daughter who is learning about rhyming words and loves Santa):
Driving cars, burning fuel
Large carbon footprints are the rule
We have to wonder what we were thinking
To melt the ice caps – the North Pole is sinking!
The post office was the first to go
Underneath the massive ice flow
A blink of the eye and the office was gone
Leaving no trace of children's letters on the lawn.
Santa didn't understand the loss
The elves were freaked out and crazy ideas they toss
The reindeer seemed to take it in stride
As it was still 6 months til their Christmas ride.
The next to go was the Candy Shop
It sunk under with a loud POP
Ribbon candy was all that was left
Leaving many quite bereft.
At this point Santa did research
All night long his glasses perch
Upon a nose, not quite so cold
As summer's days of yonder old.
The reindeers' stable sank quite fast
They had hoped it would have been last
They had to bunk in the elves dorm
The North Pole looked nothing like the norm.
All the while the workshop would flood
The sump pump turned out to be a dud
Against several inches of water that came
Nothing would ever be the same.
Santa decided that he must move
The cause of the sinking he couldn't prove
He noted the hole in the ozone layer
An Inconvenient Truth he watched from the Al Gore sayer.
The answer he dreaded he finally understood
The people of Earth were the cause was not so good.
Should he give presents to those who wasted resource
Or only to those who showed remorse.
The lumps of coal to others did not seem fit.
For it causes problems when it was lit.
Global warming was melting his home
His ground was unstable to support the secret dome.
All would fall through into icy depths below
No way to reverse what was started years ago.
Santa's decision was difficult to make
Upon its finality all he did wake.
“Pack your bags, your toys, and your tools
Pack everything that hasn't sunk into the icy pools!”
All did run to pack up their meager things
They packed their homes, the workshops and the sleigh with wings.
The gathered at the North Pole town center quick
In their hearts they felt quite sick.
Leaving this home they had lived for years gone by
Even before the reindeer did fly
Some did cry at this sad time of loss
As Santa gave his decision – he was the boss.
Where they would move to avoid the floods
Avoid icebergs, volcanoes and muds.
One place after another, off the list they came.
For fear of future flooding – they were all the same.
“An island would quickly sink
As ocean levels rise above the brink.
Coastal land would also fail
Perhaps we should just make a boat and sail”
One elf did step forward with pause
As he was about to give advice to the Claus.
“A mountaintop might be best
For us to settle – be above the rest!”
“Mt. Everest is the highest peak on this Earth
So many people give it wide enough berth.
If we move there, little would alter
We need to move now before our reserve should falter.”
“On top of the world we have been and will be
North Pole or highest peak – as far as the eye could see.”
The elf stepped back after speaking his mind
Others looked at him with pity – but at least they were kind.
Santa did stop to give the information a thought
He needed to tread lightly or a war could be fought.
No one had true claim to the North Pole.
He rarely saw animals, let alone a human soul.
Those in Nepal may take offense
They may not like his presents and mints
“I think we'll be fine if we take a care
Be quiet and unknown to all that are there.”
“We'll set up a P.O. Box with address unknown
And keep up the Christmas routes that are currently flown.”
“It's a grand idea, my little elf.
I'm surprised I didn't think of it by myself.
We'll leave immediately by Reindeer Express
I know this is sad and brings lots of stress.”
“Line up in pairs, all with a moving buddy
The last in line will be me – the big old fuddy-duddy
The first at Mt. Everest should build the dome
To keep everything secret in our new home.”
“Once all has arrived and we are at peace
We'll notify the world through a press release.
Santa has moved due to their energy greed
Taking so much more than their true need.”
“Ask them to reflect and change their ways
I've lost so much – although not my sleighs.
I will be coming on Christmas Eve
With new toys and ideas up my sleeve.”
When Christmas did dawn as Santa had stated
A hybrid car was found that on CORN was sated.
Fossil fuel was not left for the naughty - but alarm
A simple reminder note on protecting the planet from harm.
