AIR

 By Deborah Sharma

Air carries intoxicating aromas,
tickling noses, rumbling stomachs:
pungent, sweet, spicy, citrusy
pacifying as natural sedative:
floral, fruity, fragrant, woody

Air that feels light and fresh
adds to our revival
or feels dense and stale
adds to our lethargy

But tricked into exposing our lungs
to synthetic chemical scents
poisons hijack the air we inhale
desecrating what once was pure

Docile air, the humble gift
that is so disrespected
holds our fate - clean or toxic
we either thrive or suffocate

Yet air has one purpose
To be our best friend,
from beginning to life’s end,
To sustain us as we breathe.

- Deborah Sharma