northbridge      after rain

the aquarium in the cafe

purrs blue

and every fish is a silver hush

slipping through glass
outside

tyres sound like the ocean

taxi after taxi

click their tongues
she looks through the smoke

grey question      curling hush

an ember

gives a little hiss

and her silver cross sings

one cold, clear note
downstairs

   the bass gathers

         a dark engine

               rolling through the floor

                  through skin

                     to the heart
         relentless
i follow her down the stairs
         where the music lifts her

               heel tap      hair swish

                  bracelet chime

               laughter breaking

         into bright pieces
i listen from the edge

where every sound grows large

a glass set down

a chair dragged back
the soft machinery of breath
outside the city opens

its iron mouth

a horn says now

a siren says away

william street rolls on

with its rubber river
below us voices rise

then scatter

   shouts

      shoes

         a bottle’s sharp outburst
and under all of it

the club keeps knocking

who

who

who
my heart knocks back

but no door answers
she says my name kindly

so quietly

the whole city leans in to hear
then only traffic

only bass

only breath between breaths

and now her silence
the smallest sound

i cannot stop hearing