A puppy licks him in the face,
when he gets dirty exploring,
mother gets a worried look,
thinks his exuberance a disgrace.

Her world grows dark in time,
just when he wants to find,
what it's like to play and roam,
keeps him locked up at home.

Outside it's foul, hard to breathe,
water is filtered, boiled to drink,
vaccinations for virus reprieve,
manufactured food, AI think.

His world online is all he has,
rest is too foul, way too bleak,
he still wants to explore,
go outside, learn more.

Ships are leaving every day,
escaping the hellhole of his birth.
To the colonies, nearby, still,
very far away from Mother Earth.

Befouled by greed and ignorance,
he had no part in the doing.
He stayed back with AI's help,
to right his ancestors' undoing.

Coolsuit on and in a solar ship,
explored the planet, tip to tip.
What he learns to his surprise,
some species have survived.

Vibrant species have evolved,
others, adapted to the heat.
His wonder is beyond compare,
Earth's healing is hard to beat.

He nurtures it with all his worth,
creates new babies so bold,
they can roam this new world,
like they once did the old.

Before he dies at a vigorous 126,
he gets to see villages forming,
green enterprises quickly growing,
pure water and air again, flowing.