When the rain started
Noah went dancing through the streets of the town,
kicked up splashes in puddles,
waded over his knees where it was already deep,
and laughed when he saw they still didn’t know their
judgement was upon them.
Even now they ignored him, of course.
There was none to see the exultation in his eyes
or to hear him shout ‘All of them, God,
all of them, God,
all of them.’
When the rain continued
Noah for the first time felt the deck of the ark
lifting under his heels.
All around him they were serious now,
in their sodden clothes
manhandling luggage onto carts
and yelling at their children to leave some toy behind.
There was none to see the glory in his eyes
or to hear him sing ‘All of them, God,
all of them, God,
all of them.’
When the rain stopped
Noah gazed out at the cool grey light
on the cool grey water.
Nothing forced him to remember
how they had wept at the end, how their
bodies had tumbled in the mud and the surf.
If you wanted, you could even think it all looked clean.
There was none to see the shame in his eyes
or to hear him drone ‘All of them, God,
all of them,
God, all of them.’