Welcome to 'The duPs' - The website of Paul and Margaret du Plessis - Margaret a former Medical Social Worker, Paul a physician.
They served with The Salvation Army in Zambia, the United Kingdom, India, and their homeland of South Africa. They retired to live in Bromley, in southeast London. Margaret passed away in 2019.
Their children, Catherine and Andre, and the wider family have always meant a lot to them. Placing Paul’s poems and other information on a website has been a family request for some years. Grandson, David, took on the project and became the website architect.
Please enjoy reading Paul's poems which reflect something of their life experiences.
Margaret has researched the life of Louisa Mary Tucker, the first wife of pioneer Indian missionary, Frederick Tucker.
Please use the menu on the left and the search function in the top right to navigate through the site.
Here is Paul's most recent poem:
The Tortoise
- Details
- Written May 2023
As he dawdles over decisions, unable to make up his mind,
Allowing it to daydream down lonely paths of nothingness,
While he fills up on food, silently savouring every mouthful,
Munching and crunching away, listening to the chew,
Making it last a long time until it passes down,
Naming them as it passes - larynx, pharynx, epiglottis,
Into the gurgling cauldron below, giving him time to think
Or read, even if that's slow, at fifteen minutes a page,
While the TV leaps around, weaving confusion,
Leaving him wondering where he fits into a hasty world
Willing to leave him behind unless he hurries up.
Though he's content to keep to himself, silently musing,
Even tempted to withdraw and hibernate, he carries on.
May 2023