Lionmouth Door Knocker

Lionmouth Door Knocker (獅嘴門環) - Kate Tempest

At any given moment

In the middle of a city

There's a million epiphanies occurring

And the blurring of the world beyond the curtain

And the world within the person

There's a quiver in the litter

Of an alleyway

He's singing

People meet by chance

Fall in love

Drift apart again

Underaged drinkers walk the park

And watch the dark descend

The workers watch the clocks

Fiddle with their parker pence

While the grandmothers

Haggle with the market men

Here where the kids play and laugh till they fall apart

As kids chase and dancing to this mistakes and darkened rooms

Too fast too soon

Too slow too long

Move around all day

But we can't move on

Is anybody else awake

Will it ever be day again

Is anybody else awake

Will it ever be day again

Overflowing plant pots

Fence posts

Decorated door numbers

Motor black beneath a tarp

Be un a pinto

Goal posts painted on that green garish door

There's a rainbow on that wheelie bin

There's stickers on that window

Smart flats

Rough flats

Can't get enough cat flats you know

Seventeen cat flats

Rich flats

Broke flats

New flats

Old flats

Luxury bespoke flats

And this has got to be a joke flats

Pensioners

Toddlers

Immigrants and Englishmen

Families of six kids

Single business woman

Look

Everybody's here trying to make a scraper living

Of folks

Breezes on the alley won't stand still sniffing

Bare branches sway in the front garden

The lion mouth door knocker flaps in the breeze

Street lights glint on the beware of the dog signs

The beer cans and crisps packets dance with the dead leaves

It's 4 18 am

At this very moment

On this very street

Seven different people in seven different flats

Are wide awake

They can't sleep

Now

Of all these people

In all these houses

Only these seven are awake

And they shiver in the middle of the night

Counting their sheepish mistakes

Is anybody else awake

Will it ever be day again

Is anybody else awake

Will it ever be day again

We start on the corner

With our backs against the wall

Next to the old phone box

Where the tramp leaves his bedding

The road runs ahead of you

Houses and flats either side

Walk down

Go past the yard with the caravans

There behind the hedges