The Anniversary
Every February I remember.
I have it marked in my diary
and sometimes I take annual leave
but that’s not to say
I don’t remember at other times –
like when a song comes on
or I’m buying magazines in the Co op
and I’m back in that car and on the way to hospital
wearing my pink coat that I loved
more than any other coat I’ve ever owned
and nearly lost that time
when I left it on a hook
in an unfamiliar place
like this unfamiliar place
where I’m staring up at the light
and there’s laughter in the corridor
and someone is telling me
I’m very sorry, but there is no sign of a pregnancy
Laura Strickland is a poet, MA student and carer based in North Yorkshire. Her work has appeared in The North, Northern Gravy, Yaffle Press, Black Cat Poetry Press and Dreamcatcher (next issue). Laura is working on her first pamphlet.