difficulty breathing
breathe
they are still there somewhere
beyond the vast expanse of grey
they always have been
whenever we needed
………hope
………gods
………stories
but you can’t see them anymore
the particulate matter of urban life
………nitrogen oxides
………sulphur
………ozone
left us all on our own
with exhalations of civilisation
all we can do is inhale
looking up to the stars no longer an option
breathe
Dawid Juraszek is a lecturer in literature and culture of English-speaking countries at a university in Guangzhou, China. His academic background is in English, translation studies, educational leadership, international relations, and environmental management. A published novelist, his fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in a variety of outlets in his native Poland, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.