They waited for the heat

and the heat waited

building up its forces,

they were in dread of it

imagining blisters

spontaneous combustion

hallucinations

tongues too swollen for mouths

to accommodate,

the salvation of lollies ice creams

and secret wells. 

 

The heat caught some out

the dismissives

the torso worshippers

whilst old folk settled

into dark corners

checking their galloping pulses. 

The tongue of the heat

lapped up water

from silver pools

spat it out with its breath.