Chloe Balcomb’s poems and stories have appeared in journals, anthologies and online – including in Butcher’s Dog, Under the Radar, The Interpreter’s House, And Other Poems – and placed in competitions including the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition and Frogmore Poetry Prize. Her pamphlet collections are The Waney Edge and Upstart Jugglers.
Sweetheart
Meet me at the station like you used to –
be there by the ticket barrier, hair newly cut
in a fresh pair of Levis, that black Fred Perry,
biceps showing but acting oh so nonchalant,
right boot crossed over left, reading the paper,
something contentious, let’ s say the Daily Mail,
your Dad’s, you’ll claim because he’s alive then
brimming with pleasure and amusement that
we’re back together. Look up at the exact moment
I reach the top of the stairs, blue eyes blazing
then fold the paper neatly, hug me briefly,
grab my bags. In your old van, with the busted
door handle, be glad to see me but tongue tied,
still a bit dazzled. Only later when we ache
so much we’ve ceased to care, kiss me deeply,
kiss me here and there and there.