Happy, You're Beneath Me Poem by Emmanuel Ayeni

I live where you drive
the uninvited guest you cannot evict
Your contractors come with their trucks
their surveys, their grand plans
I yawn, I widen, I settle in deeper

I am the pothole
your faithful street critic
I host weddings for tyres
funerals for shoes
and laugh when you swerve in panic
No whistle, no siren just me
perfectly punctual in mischief

You paint signs, you promise repairs
but I am timeless
I know every shortcut, every shortcutter
every driver who curses and prays
I am the king of your tarmac
the only resident who never sleeps
never resigns, never collects salary

Try to patch me, fill me, cover me
I will return with a grin
bigger, bolder
and just as cheeky
as your promises

I am your city's true legacy
unyielding, unstoppable
mocking every blueprint
every excuse
every "next month"