a joker Wednesday      dripping

with the good fortune of global warming

      best July rain in sixty years

residents huddle in the basement

      café of their local RSL

picture window onto the carpark

red-welcoming carpet      warm

      as the voice of a favourite machine

they sit around tables sized for intimacy

weaving between chairs and other patrons

      balancing trays of unrationed water

      serviette supplies      a fistful of sugars

eat away a private afternoon      in public

      with a half-serve of roast (the ladies)

and a slice of lemon meringue pie

the new chef cut into 8 instead of 12

      it’s offered with a badge of proud cream

and a sorry for the battleship portion—

slicing through the deck of marshmallow

      the pastry hull with its generous lemon-

custard cargo      sweet/sour as the weather

      a smile trumps the wrinkles

      sun shines its brief blessing

      no need for a flutter today