The 'Arc of Opportunity'*

My ark has long been built
Arranged carefully to meet the needs
Of both Animals and Humans
Tight against wind and rain
In its final resting place
Not far from the river
Where many travelers before and since
Have found a home
And founded a unique community.

But our land has been sold
By people who did not own it
For riches we will never see
Without our permission.

Like millions before us around the world
Our village now belongs to people half a planet away
Who will only come here themselves
If certain there’ll be no contact
With the locals
Left to serve invisibly
In the spaces we once owned.

Even the air has been purchased
Allowing the colonizers to rise far above us
While concrete hives for workers
Choke against the motorway.

Opportunity knocks us
Threatening to sink my ark
With no land left in sight.

* This is how the area where my home is located was described by Newham Council in promotions to overseas investors in China, Russian and the Middle East in 2011. Although I own my home, it was still marked in red on the accompanying map as part of the 'Arc of Oppportunity'.

© Ju Gosling aka ju90

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