Even now

Even now

Sitting out here waiting for the rain

With an oversized fan blowing cool air

Over me

The humidity, so high

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.