the stakes

what is worth saving?

the Tescos,
the McDonald’s,
the Primarks?

the chicken shops,
the rubbish, piled so high it overflows and spills out
to our feet,
the dog shit?

what is worth saving?

the concrete jungles,
the Land Rovers,
the flashing billboards?

the expansive shopping centres,
the grade-I listed buildings,
the statues of historical figures no one remembers?

the independent artisan sourdough bakeries,
the Wetherspoons,
the luxury estate agents?

the roadkill,
the Travelodges,
the betting shops?

I don’t want to save any of those things.
They can drown in the floods, be swept in the storms,
and they won’t be missed.

what is worth saving
is often imperceptible
and sometimes, I forget.
it’s –

the animated conversations behind closed doors
the meeting between kindred spirits
the solitary tree standing tall with its roots breaking through the pavement
the laughter that echoes in alleyways

the shared ache in the face of injustice

our mutual pain and hurt that inspires

the rage to strive for something better –

what makes us human.