Düsseldorf, December 11, 2021
The walls creak and stammer
Never-ending cracks
A clattering of metal pipes
Plasterboard and plaster
The sky was still dark
When a buzz of voices
Rose up
Behind the headboard of the bed
A sound of a sigh, inhaled, a hiss
A man or an echo
Triggered by a beguiling wind
That penetrates the narrow cracks of the facade
A dry cough
A drop of water
Echoes in the dark emptiness
PLOP!
A myriad of copper cables and cavities
From above an object falls on the floor-ceiling
A hairpin, a fork
The TINGLE TINGLE becomes a THUD THUD
The bony legs of a wooden chair
Screeching on the laminated floor
CREAK CREAK
A restless snort
Hangers slide annoyingly
Against the wardrobe rod
Aided along by a hand
Still longing for rest
Someone rushes down the stairs
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP
Empty glass bottles rattle against each other
Without breaking
The radiators talk to each other
In a language of beats and whistles
TIP TAP, CLICK, PSST, PLINK
CLICK CLANG, TICK-TOCK, SHH
The refrigerator wakes up
With a rumbling sound
Vibrating and ritualistic
VOOOOOUM!
A tap is opened
Hot water flows out
The walls relax
They become withdrawn
The drumming decreases
Communications are interrupted
The door slams
The building empties
