As long as she is alright.

As long as she is alright.

Even now

Sitting out here waiting for the rain

With an oversized fan blowing cool air

Over me

The humidity, so high

I think if I were a Dolphin

I would swim

To survive

Until I remember Zoolander

A neat Bowie cameo

And just as quickly

I fall heavily back to earth,

The sun struggling to break

Cover through troublesome clouds.

It is insufferably hot

A severe weather report

Has been issued

But it will be a while yet

Before the change.

Queensland is like that

Even now, sweltering,

On the deck

I remember

Registering your death.

Sitting opposite

A woman

With no face

Just hollow round glasses

A rimless mouth

And a question mark

Over her head

I thought, “Surely somebody

In here must be human?”

But there was nothing

To show for that

But a clawed hand,

Clasping a mug of coffee

As she entered the details

Confirming death

Into a computer,

With the other,

I guessed that even automatons

Needed coffee

To lubricate their workings.

Later back home

I realised she had arthritis.

I looked out of the window

At the garden

Digging in the dirt

Bringing a plant to life

A Euphorbia

It had red flowers,

You liked red flowers

Especially roses

They matched the little Robin

Who had lived out there

Under the Ivy

For a few years

Such a handsome little fellow.

He bounced around expectantly

Dancing in and out of the Passion Flowers

Looking for something or other

I’m not rightly sure

He knew,

I think he just missed you too.