it’s all in this box, isn’t it

during your shift you were so unbearably

lovesick that you threw up those ballads and

accidentally flushed them

down the years – just

great, absolutely brilliant, now

all we have is these memories

of strangers, polaroids we are yet to make

sense of, but it is that simple:

everyone wants to be young and that’s all

they remember

don’t be sad, they all split at some point, even

the greatest double acts: Rik &

Ade, Noel &

Julian, Moz &

Johnny, Clem &

Steven &

all the others too

it was meant to happen to us as well

no more youth, no more friendship, no more

time, no more

of this

you are the sweetest and the sharpest thing

and I’ve been courting you since we were sixteen

but you turned down my hand so many times

and yet they still called you my wife

working sunsets & refurbishing

my mind