Del-i-very:

Delma Heer (nee Strover)

37 Newcastle Street, Fairfield, Qld, Australia.

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Delicious, I've just witnessed a strange thing.

A plant can grow in “pretty shitty” soil.

And “weeds” can then affect remembering…

the front yard or the back side fence, the toil

to trim that palm. Or, we can pull them out, 

and build, or plant, a something in its place.

No perm’nant fixtures are around about.

Our life is short. But not all a disgrace.

And delicate. I seemed to see a frond

of sun-flow'r, in one day grow up - then wilt,

and in that place before its spot had gone

discovered a moon-flow’r come on “full tilt”.

Delightful! Special things grew, showing off

the kind of kind-ness, that friendship can bring

into the world, bring flavours which are soft

and delicate. Some strong, some weakening…

[I’ve seen some one del-ib-er-ate-ly pull 

a weed from neighbour’s lawn - & garden bed.

And it grew not, a week later to full

maturity - to multiply and shed

its seeds about the place - to more infect

the spot around. And that was just - “Because!”]

And when I bent to moon-flower inspect,

I found a star-flow’r growing where it was.

I picked some poop out of the flower’s cup

where dog, or cat, or bird had done its thing.

And gladly then remembered to look up 

to closest star we have. Quite sobering!

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Footnote:

Yesterday we got together for a party, to recall the life and times of Delma Heer (known as Del, or Dell, to most who knew her). She said in her will that there was to be no funeral, but she allowed a party. We met with family, and friends of Del via her school or work, her mothering days, her side business, her husband’s and children’s friends, and people who moved to Australia and whom she understood by her own experience of living with her husband overseas and having a child in Switzerland. Her empathy with others always brought the best out in her. There were other strands that made up Del, but most of us decided to do some weeding for her, and recall those best bits; - not the self-pittying, or tired, or grumpy, judgemental self. And that party, and dinner together later, helped to show that off to me. 

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