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Ron A. Kalman is a poet who lives in the Boston area and has published widely. His poetry has been translated into multiple languages and has appeared in 10 countries. The poem below was first published in Canto Planetario, a global anthology out of Costa Rica about the state of our planet. It had participants from 110 countries, and Ron A. Kalman was one of five poets representing the United States. His chapbook, Appearance of the Sun, is available from Main Street Rag Publishing.

My Next Car

Ron A. Kalman

On a Saturday in May
temperatures are soaring
to record highs and I’m debating
what kind of car to buy –
electric of course
so I might throw in my lot
with the sane people of the world –
but elections are approaching
and I’ve just been reading
how ExxonMobil and their ilk
have managed to portray
climate change as a means
to take people’s guns away –
naturally I’m concerned –
how will my electric car do in a flood?
will it short circuit and explode
or in that thundering night
will it gently float?

— Ron A. Kalman

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