I found a diary entry

dated

in black bold letters at the top

of the page, September 19^th 1986.

In the mix of teenage scrawl

and practised finer examples

of handwriting to come,

I noted that

Pat Pheonix

had died the day before;

I also wrote, took some pain killers today,

is the discomfort new, or am I just

noticing it for the first time,

as my neck stiffened at an awkward angle

and my Mum had to help me with my paper

round that morning.

Ian D. Hall 2021