For the residents of London Hounslow who live under constant pollution of Heathrow flight path.
iron wings fly above Hounslow
carrying planes carrying people,
ripping-air is their enemy
ripping air is their pride
they illustriously exhale
silver clouds,
round sky-bus bellies
smile at rusty tiled roofs,
cloud paths travelled
lost swiftly and gently.
our air has no map
no borders no voice,
it is ripped and fatigued
our sights untrained
to watch it decline
it is settling in silence
of years and decades
as plane after plane
tax profit after profits
trade after trade
roars above timber attic triangles
and foolish broad gardens,
its silence also ripped.
we must become rich
and richer and richer,
we need nickel coins and notes
gold bonds and jobs
to fill empty banks
mopped neat by suited bankers
bonus gulpers and deceitful loan sellers,
they sold rubbish not money
money just flew away
like a plane’s cloud paths lost
in air ripped by iron wings.
on streets of Hounslow
summer leaves crisp bags
burger packs cigarette wrappers
fly,
a plane just flew away,
90 seconds
before rubbish gets new iron wings.
Sumeet Grover
Sumeet Grover is the founder of Global Poetry, dedicated to creativity, human dignity, dialogue and global citizenship. He is a winner of the Portico Brotherton Open Poetry Prize 2014 and was shortlisted for the Jane Martin Poetry Prize in 2014 & 2015. He has authored three books of poetry: Signals (2017), House Arrest & Disobedience (2015) and Change (2011). Grover is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment.