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

Jemma 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

Now 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 each other

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 the storm

And their hair is flattened against their heads or puffed up madly outwards

And their hands slip off their chins and cheeks as they clutch their faces open-mouthed

"Amazing!" they shout

"You seen it?!" they shout

As they walk like children

Into the eye of a game and band close, close, shocked and laughing, soaked to the skin