I Think It Might Have Been Raining

• I woke up early the next morning,
  before time had been switched on, the hours still
  sleeping in my watch. Things weren't quite ready
  to happen chronologically.

  At some point, I was downstairs
  with a mug half-full of coffee.
  I was looking out the window, taking small sips of
  caffeine and sky and milk. I wasn't quite sober
  enough yet to tell the difference.

  But I could tell the difference between
  glass and water, when they exploded
  on the kitchen floor.

  I remember my socks were soaked through.
  I was sitting by the radiator, even though
  it wasn't on, still wrapped in a coat
  that was wetter than I was.

  And I definitely stumbled out of bed
  on feet that didn't feel like my own,
  trying to ignore a headache while
  opening the curtains in search of sunrise.

  I didn't find it. But I did find two Paracodol
  in the cupboard above the cooker
  so I decided they'd do for now; I dropped them
  in water, watched it eat away at them like acid.
  And I found a broom to sweep them up
  when they fell from my grasp.

  Then I remember standing in the hallway,
  deciding not to wear shoes in case I
  tripped over the laces.
  I didn't want to trip:

  when I walked downstairs, I hugged the banisters
  for balance, and closed my eyes
  so I could let myself believe that they were human.
  Because my arms wouldn't believe anything else,
  and my legs wouldn't move
  if they knew there was no-one there to catch them
  if they missed a step.

  I know I ended up in bed, pulling the sheets
  back over me, resting wet hair on a damp
  pillow, trying to work out
  if I was feeling lonely.

  But somewhere before that,
  I was outside, before the sky had been filled in.
  It was just the right shade of empty. I still wanted
  the sun to burn it down, but it could wait.
  I remember I listened to birdsong for a long time.
  And I think it might have been raining.

  
  

  
  

  By David Carey - Many thanks to David for letting me share this with you guys. I don't own any of the rights or anything (and he wrote it, obviously) but I thought it was so good that more people should read it.

  
  

  And now you have :)