A Room of My Own: Eight Billion People Haiku

This Brave New World, LXIII

written in response to the UN report: "World population to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022"

8 billion people ...

sleepless again I count stars

in the skylight

FYI: The global population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, and India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, according to World Population Prospects 2022, released today on World Population Day, July 11 2022.

And CNN News, Nov. 15: Global population hits 8 billion as growth poses more challenges for the planet

Having more people on Earth puts more pressure on nature, as people compete with wildlife for water, food and space. Meanwhile, rapid population growth combined with climate change is also likely to cause mass migration and conflict in coming decades, experts say.

And whether it’s food or water, batteries or gasoline, there will be less to go around as the global population grows. But how much they consume is equally important, suggesting policymakers can make a big difference by mandating a shift in consumption patterns.

And National Geographic, Environment Section, Nov. 14: Earth now has 8 billion people—and counting. Where do we go from here?

We’ve added a billion people in just 12 years. The implications for the planet—and our own welfare—hinge on how we tackle climate change.

Added: reading between the lives and writing between the lines, XXXI

written in response to the UN's declaration: "November 15, Day of Eight Billion" 

8 billion people ...

distance between me and them

on this snowy street

Added: reading between the lives and writing between the lines, XXXII

written in response to  Janis Joplin's remark:  On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.

8 billion people ...

alone in the TV's light

I nod off

then curl into a wet dream

of making love to myself

Added: Game Show 2024, VIII

Breaking Fake News

to Trump-lites and Trump-wannabes

Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely NOT coincidental. 

Trump 2024

on the way to the white house

a pile of dog shit

this smell

lingering in the cold air

a third run

FYI: The Globe and Mail, Nov. 16: Trump’s 2024 presidential announcement was an all-out extravaganza, with glitter, grandiosity and gibes

His announcement was an all-Trump extravaganza: exaggerations and extravagant talk; glitter and grandiosity; gibes and, if you listened closely, jagged shards of jealousy. There was the sense of grievance that follows him like smoke at a campfire, the boasts that rumble through the air like blasts from the brass section of a Big Ten marching band.

And Business Insider, Nov. 16: Mike Pompeo swipes at Trump after 2024 announcement, calls for leaders "not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood"

Added: Game Show 2024, IX

flanked by a spray of flags

he shouts to the crowd's chants

of “USA! USA!”

I'm running for president

of Mar-a-Lago Psych Ward

FYI: The Insider, Nov. 17: GOP mega-donor Ken Griffin, who's poured $60 million into Republican campaigns this cycle, called Trump a '3-time loser' and said he shouldn't run for president