When It Falls

She's standing next to Big Ben
the morning is cold, she draws her raincoat tight
the cross hatch timbers collect beads of light

He wipes his head
takes a drag of a cigarette
meets her for coffee
but not her gaze
how could you do this?
wear your pretty face
turn to face the audience
no one makes a sound
the white lights upon him now
sparkling upon his brow

He casts his eyes outside
cream swirls like fog in his hand
How are you going to manage he asks beneath his breath
she sits across from him in tight lipped rage

She screams at him secretly in her mind
the rage and frustration of a misspent life
detonates upon on the table
blowing the windows into the half-light
to radiate cold shafts of broken glass
hanging in the air , sky fire diamonds
they play out their last scene

They are alone, quiet, peaceful
accepting a certain grace
he puts the pen down on the table
its metal sheen against the white cloth
and she signs in broken hand
in dark blue line on white page

He turns a corner and walks past the Thames
the world , to his watering eye
seems painted in shimmering color

Years later
She stands in the windowscape of her cliffside home
and she hears a sound

there he stood in the doorway
flowers in his hand

She hits the bed, arms stretched outhand
they fall together into the soft bed
the white petals spinning in the air
she smiles and turns her head to the side
and they land before the flowers hit the ground

He kisses the scar of her operation
she traces the line of his forehead with her finger
they twine together
truth beauty love and strange
top bottom
they crash
as he drives into her
and the light from the tequila sunrise
becomes liquid light
a blivon
it clears the screens

And this is how it ends
this is how it ends
this is how it ends
he bangs his wife
and from her quivering lips - a whimper
the universe burns
and she sleeps happily

thinking of the sea
thinking of the sea