The weather app informs me
That the air quality is good
It made me wonder
When did the air become toxic here?
With a canopy of coconut trees around
With plenty of creepers and plants on the ground
Wind lashing out from the ocean frequently
Endless rains for weeks every year
The air was always relatively safe
But with the growth in the number of vehicles
Maybe, there is some change in air quality
But I hope that the ocean and rain will keep
The air refreshed
At least in this small city
I have seen the accumulation of black soil
On the floors in some other cities
I have felt the breathing of black soot and soil
Where construction materials create dust
As the cities grow vertically with high-rise buildings
Also the millions of vehicles spitting greenhouse gases
They are still safer than some megacities
That requires air filters at home
Electric vehicles alone won't improve air quality
The industries need to reduce pollution drastically
Else we will end up living in toxic gas chambers
Susceptible to lung diseases and other illnesses
This poem is inspired by the air-quality information I started receiving from an app on my laptop. I was surprised to receive the air quality information. As the air here is relatively cleaner compared to bigger cities. The images are taken by cleanairpartners and breathepa.
