Looking for Julia

I go for a walk,
buy milk,
instant coffee's getting low. $2.50,
third price rise
this year. looking through my coins
fiddly gold bits, ridged layers,
imprints, the year and date's all wrong-
I catch her flicker
as she walks past
narrow black shoes
thin hips and fast feet
that's all
I see.

outside the dairy
a dog wags.
I am not the one he's waiting for. he looks away.

the day's decided it's going to rain.
clouds frown
chew pencils
spit. there are wet footprints already
on the path.

someone has hung
balloons on the fence
for a birthday party. she is not inside
the cake
but I didn't expect
it anyway.

I pull a pink
hibiscus
from a bush
as I walk
uphill

back home
there's an envelope waiting.
it's from Julia.

I open it.

If only it were that easy.


Julia is a character in my novel.