December

Oh, you have played records all night long
You come straight from the club
When you pick me up at six in the morning
You smell of champagne and cigarettes
I put on stockings and a dark green dress
And we're off to the clinic

Ten girls in a room, one bed each
I wonder if I am the only one who feels like
Everyone's staring at me
A nurse in the middle of the room informs us
In a gentle Finnish accent about the procedure

First they will sting us with the needle
Then we'll fall asleep
Then, one by one, they'll take us to the next room
Rid us of our little trouble, our unwanted pregnancies
And then we'll wake up

You’re the only man in the room, you're by my side
When it's my turn to get injection, you’re sent outside
“We've had a problem with boyfriends
They often faint if they see blood”, the nurse explains

Just a few moments later, I am sleeping
And, if they do exist, the angels are weeping
And, when I wake up, you get me
A coffee and a sandwich and a kiss
In which I can taste the last breath of our love
And I can taste you haven't slept for centuries
And it's time to walk out into our own separate winters

Before we leave, the nurse takes us aside
And she tells the two of us to take care of each other
I'm not sure if I remember this right
But I think that's where we start to giggle
A relief in the grief