The Air

A Poem

For Tapan Avasthi ⛄️, For India

It was never like this, prior colonialism, industrialization, capitalism, globalization

and now, the air is unbearable,

and they are expected to just deal in Delhi to just take it in

something about a natural consequence, something about personal choices

nothing about, nothing about, nothing about corporations that cut and run, drain and flee, pollute and reboot

moving on, breathing fine, being fine luxury liners in the sky, sipping wine

while my friends have tears in their eyes and choke on their words, bloodshot red and told to just do

business as usual, to pray, to maybe breathe a bit less,

the logic of capitalism is illogical the momentum of climate change is irreversible

that air is for all of us, creeping across the landscape like a blob, like a spectre

taking up space in the sky, space in our lungs there’s no turning away —

deal with this in Delhi with global efforts

climate change is here, capitalism change, come soon.

Jenny Justice is a poet mom who longs to bring poetry to life in ways that spark empathy, connection, joy, and feeling. She loves writing love poems, climate change awareness poems, poems for kids, and of course, poems about poetry and poets. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer. You can support her on Patreon. You can follow her poetry at Justice Poetic.

Tapan Avasthi ⛄️’s poem on this issue:

Sam Kimberle’s poem on this issue: