“You are 10 minutes late, Mrs Lee. Our clinic runs on time, as you know.”

I tried not to be too rude but had to interpret what the receptionist was saying. I gave her an apologetic Korean smile. She nodded.

“Your therapist will be out in a minute so take a seat.”

We turned around and walked through a few rows of chairs. She grabbed the first empty chair next to the white wall. She was so glad to sit down while saying this, “I missed my bus. I rang my husband ten times to pick me up from the bus stop. He just wouldn’t pick up the phone. I am so mad at him. What else could I do? I had to wait for the next bus. I had to almost run with my bad knees.”

This time she gave me an apologetic smile behind her dark sunglasses. Her huge black sun visor hat had a sparkly embroidered butterfly on top, blocking half her face. I still could see her age. 74 years old? She looked younger for her age, still walking (did she say she ran?), talking and still showing anger.

We wait for her therapist.

“Oh Mrs Lee. Come on in. My name is Clara, your occupational therapist today.”

Already two other patients were seeing their therapist on two separate tables across the room and they were talking loud and constantly. I knew I had to raise my voice here.

“Show me your fingers, Mrs Lee.”

Bandaged up, suddenly two fingers were coming out of her pockets and placed on the table. Clara opened the old bandage, without asking, to reveal the white pinkish flesh underneath. She pressed the area a few times, while watching Mrs Lee’s face.

“No pain here, Mrs Lee? That’s good. How long have you been wearing this bandage? You can’t have showers with this thing on. Water is trapped underneath, you see, and it can get infected. I will give you new bandage to take home.”

“Did you check the x-ray?”

“Yes, not a fracture, just a tear of ligament”

“The foldable seat on the bus sprang up so quickly and I thought that I was going to lose my finger!”

“The seat was fractured, not your finger. You are very lucky, Mrs Lee.”

Dark chocolates were not the ones I asked for That’s what he wanted on Valentine’s Day I had to make a special trip to buy one or four Big blocks of sweet Darrell Lea without delay

Red roses were what I secretly wished for But that’s not what I got on every Valentine’s Day He had to rush to a Coles to get a bouquet of Sunflowers Too old to be on display, Quick Sale without delay

Dark chocolates and sunflowers are now what I long for That sweet bitter smooth velvet melting taste lingers for days I bring out my best crystal vase and empty a sachet of Floralife Hoping my old flowers come back to life and last for days

The night before his death You took a long walk with him Unusually long, so I asked him Where you guys have been

He smiled and began his tale You happily wagged your tail After all, you and he were best mates Strolling cheerfully, going to places

When I saw you lying next to him In the shed on that late autumn night I recklessly asked both of you again What on earth has happened

Your brooding eyes, trying for another tale Sitting on the white sheet covering him And the cold cement ground beneath You no more wag your cheery tail

He lay there like a wooden toy soldier His mouth half open, as if to finish his last sentence I frantically shook his body and realised this time He is gone forever with his half finished tale

You asked me how I could just sip my wine When my fellow interpreters suffer in vain In the country that just fell to the Taliban Who are the ‘students’ of the Koran

I exclaimed how it sends shivers down my spine Seeing their chance to escape the brutal reign Abruptly taken away with their fate slain With their loyalties questioned once again

You knew both sides too well Because you command both tongues like spell While your brains work like Dell Your hearts explode like millions of shells

No sides can blame you for the failure Both sides in fact should praise you for your bravery Which never died in the past crossfire But will survive in the uncertain recovery

I worshipped you daily at the dawn So, I was filled with fresh hopes

I searched for you when I was down So, I restored my fragile passions

I dedicated myself to be near you So, I could receive your eternal energy for love

I was warned, however, not to do so Keep away from her, son You can’t get to her You won’t certainly survive

I flew and flew, my body got so hot like flame Oh my wings were dissolving like snow But I reached out to get one more glimpse of you My heart is still pumping like pistol

You loved me so fiercely that I burned Now, you’ll only be left with ashes,

Smell...fresh meat? Or are they being defrosted? I know this smell coming from a refrigerator. Where I used to work.

Animal flesh being slaughtered and packed for human consumption... where am I? I can’t see anything in here. Am I being transported in this...vehicle?

I am trying to move my legs but they are packed inside...a box? What about my arms? They are stuck to the side of my body and all I can move is my fingers...

or can I? Are they my fingers? Or...someone else’s? Is the smell coming from this person whose fingers I’m feeling...so cold?

Like frozen meat!

Arriving early at this quaint little street Finding a little house needing fresh painting A nicely dressed lady came out to greet Taking me through the corridor

A dog came out of nowhere and ran to my feet
She apologised, saying the dog needs cleaning In fact, this whole house needs a new treat I just nodded and looked up at the ceiling

Oh, I know the ceiling looks old and incomplete And look at the cracks appearing This warm beige colour adds more heat After ten years this house looks real tiring

I took out my note, jotting down on the sheets I wonder when she wants to get starting How long have you lived alone Too long, she looked away, despairing

When entering a bathroom, neat and sweet My eyes travelled to a single bath towel hanging Confirming that no man ever painted this en-suite I’m the one for whom Mrs Lee has been waiting

At first, it was an instant romance I wasn’t too sure

We didn’t know in advance What we were in for

The long casual glance The short sweet kisses

Soon we hastily dance In and out of the bedspreads

Your high prance Jumped in my gushing river

But my best chance Lied in walking right out

A belated letter arrived hence Feeling of sorrow delivered

In the end, we only regret the chance We didn’t take

Good morning Mary. I am sorry that I didn’t get any response from you. I have been patiently waiting, thinking that you might be particularly busy at work this week or with your children (You said in your profile you have two in your household). I didn’t mind waiting at all. You are a very attractive lady and what’s another week waiting to hear from such a find on this site. When I first looked at your profile photo and other photos, I thought instantly you were a keeper. Your quirky sense of humour - what do people first notice about you? Lovely legs! - and your romantic nature - what is your ideal first date? Finding a smallest table and sipping coffee and fighting over a piece of cake. And you aroused me immensely with this answer - why do you want to meet your date face to face? So I can smell him!

But Mary, I just found out, I didn’t know this function before, that you have visited this site almost everyday but did not respond to me, which goes to show how disrespectful you are towards me. We are all looking for love, some are desperately and others are more playfully, but showing some courtesy to another human being showing interest in you would be a decent thing to do.

Best of luck with your adventures on this site.

P.S I will leave my number (09237 47382) just in case you cannot communicate with me on this site because I am cancelling my subscription now!

Different bodies come in here At different times from nowhere

Usually brought in by police officers Also by ambulance officers Rarely by good natured strangers Never by grieving murderers

Covered by white cotton But revealed by sipping crimson We know there is an once person Completed his last season

Did it end as a murder mystery Or a tragic comedy Or a silently haunting melody

We will never know When a body comes in now So just shake off the snow Let the question unknow