Rewriting the Past
the diary of Amabel Moseley (born 1855 died 1928)
On August the tenth, nothing remarkable happened.
My daughter had come the day before and stayed
the night, then Midge and I met up again.
As we always did we talked: about Harry, the war,
our lecture courses here in Oxford, Harry’s
experiments bearing fruit around the world.
But today I have changed the past. Gone back in time.
How is it possible? Three weeks in ignorance,
a summer spent looking forward to Harry’s return
from Gallipoli. Until today when the telegram came.
I have written him into that past: his letters, the day
he left for Aldershot and I was late and missed him.
I have struck out the meeting with Midge, my friend.
On August the tenth, ‘My Harry was killed’.
© Hilda Reed, October 2015