London Too Loud - Diane Scantlebury

London you have a loud voice
A sound that never stops,
I can hear you in my dreams
And even when I open my eyes,
There you are
Like a waking nightmare,
Still screaming
You never whisper,
Your buses roar,
Your cars screech,
Your sirens shriek,
The tube rumbles beneath,
The noise continues relentlessly
Torturing my eardrums,
Until I block you out
With noise of my own,
The television, the radio,
Anything
To prevent you from oppressing
And clouding my thoughts,
Disturbing my sleep,
Making me long for
The peace and tranquillity
Of home,
Yet I know if I stay long enough
You would slink by,
Unnoticed,
So for now I close the window
In a vain hope
Of silencing you.

Diane Scantlebury