“City Swim”  and “Learning to Drive” both explore both loss and grief. The poet uses her imagination and magical thinking to cope with the loss of her father, eventually coming to some sort of acceptance of this loss.
In “Carrot Juice for Ma Coates”, Abbi’s mother becomes sick with cancer,  Abbi visits her to support and help look after her. She becomes frustrated when her mother thwarts her attempts to feed her fresh carrot juice and other nutritious foods. Abbi recalls a time when she was a student and how a friend, Lydia, invited her home for the weekend. She remembers the strained relationship Lydia had with her mother and their issues around food and weight. Abbi reflects on how, as teenagers, they both longed for independence, to fly towards freedom. As Abbi begins to accept her mother and allow her to be the way she is, she appreciates the close relationship and support her mother has always given her. Ultimately she is able to let go and allow her mother to fly.