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Air for One, And One Air for All
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By:
Debbie Ann Tan
 Burning a hole in my lungs
The ferocity of a cough.
Airy cold swirl rising to my throat
I bark out this air continuously.
I stifle my noise only to choke
Endless akh akh akh to hak hak hak.
Veins on my throat ready to jump
Still my lungs release and take the bad air.
I see these lungs as melting cotton candy
Vulnerable, while the cough burns a hole.
The dust particles invisible as they are
target my eyes, lodging there.
Challenging me to remove them
And my eyes accept this dare with water.
Salty tears coax the dust to follow them
Collect at the eyelids and down my face.
But they are stubborn for they are plenty
From the air their army gathers to attack.
They stick all over— to my hair, my skin
Invincible, invisible dust particles.
When my air is without smoke and dust
My lungs would expand taking air easily
My lungs would be drums pounding loud.
My eyes would not pop out from coughing
My eyes would be crystals without stains
But the air I own is with smoke and dust
It is not mine alone because you own it too.
Let us decry cars, factories exhaling poison
Cigarettes, burning rubber add to bad health.
Who can help us have air without smoke or dust?
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