Читать книгу Catastrophic - Humphrey Hartney - Страница 12

The visitors seem settled downstairs –

Shocked but safe and quiet, the cats doze.

The house is robed in smoke, and I find

I’m now the last one awake

and dead tired.

The cold water bursts quick and sharp on my scalp.

The shower cools me in its brief blast.

I kill the last of the lights, climb the stairs

Coughing now and still not sure what to think.

The windows open on the heat. More smoke wafts in.

The fan pulses nothing but slightly cooler smoke.

The eldest dog jumps up and claims the centre of the bed,

I get in on his left.

The younger dog sniffs my hand dangling over the edge

And jumps in to my left. A sandwich for sleeping –

I’m human meat with dog bread.

But unlike cosy winter, we fall asleep

With a good air gap between us –

it’s too hot to touch.

Soon, the eldest dog quivers

Falling further and further into his dreams

His paws twitch as though he’s running.

I too start to sleep,

and in my dreams,

I see him there

charging just ahead of me,

I follow…