Breaks

So here is our moment, frozen
We've seen our seven unmoving
In their lonely homes
It's been 4: 18 and dawn's still hours off yet
My God and they are cold and listless
Not quite sure that they exist
Here in this moment, slow and viscous
Lips haunted by the ghosts of kisses
There is the endless saturation of the days
And here they are
There is nothing moving but their breath
But watch now
As the breaking storm outside brings this moment into action
The sky cracks into a wild-mouthed grin
And unleashes all the water that it's carried
Vapour grown heavy from every distant puddle
Every lapping wave tip
Every churning river
Contributing to this rain
Now Pete on his doorstep, he looks up
Mouth agape, and he drops his key in shock and laughs
A howling, ancient laugh
The lightning charges through them
Rips the sky and startles every roof in stark relief
And they see their city new
Esther hears herself shout a strange bark into the silence of her kitchen
Gemma sits bolt-upright in bed, wide eyed
And she stares at the rain as it smashes itself against her windows
Zoe puts her boxes down
Bradley reaches for his dressing gown
And I see it from above
Seven doors to seven flats
Open at the same time and light the raining pavement
Seven broken hearts, seven empty faces
Are heading out of doors
Here's our seven perfect strangers
And they see eachother
Strangely dressed
One shoe and one slipper
Socks falling off
Smiling
Gathering slowly, tentatively in the middle of the road
Shielding their eyes at first
But then tipping their necks back
Unhunching their shoulders
Opening their bodies up to this storm
And their hair is flat and against their heads
All puffed up madly outwards
And the hands slip off their chins and cheeks
As they clutch their faces, open-mouthed
"Amazing!" they shout
"We've seen it!" they shout
As they walk like children into the eye of a game
And BAM!
Close, close
Shocked and laughing
Soaked to the skin