smog flows from glass towers
through us in the breezeless damp
through us in the humid streets
smog slides down our throats
crawls up our faces and burrows up our nostrils
filthy air pushes into eyes and ears

boils down the winding endless staircase
of council-constructed monoliths
intestinal and involved, intricate and always
chewing souls up
forcing them down
churning them out

coiling around the metal giraffes
rearing from their pillars of stone
growing to monstrous proportions
when they stalk the harbour
and build the towers taller
with every bite
sunlight dribbles through the air like
dirty wax

the sun is sick everyone is sick

their sickness walks through freezing alleys
and they won’t stop crying, these things from
sick kids’ minds that huddle in the dripping dark

i wish they would stop crying
things are hard enough with the smog
bunching into pillows in my lungs
we can’t help won’t help
please be quiet i know it
hurts