downstairs, two officers stamp their feet
blow into their hands

the windows are cups of water filled with winter

he holds the bag open, searching
for a gaze to meet

cold

thirsts at the bones

he doesn’t see me standing there
he doesn’t hear me speak

an officer circles the front yard leaning

back to see the smoke

or is it steam

is it fire or water that can bring a child back

elide that which is heavy in his hand

and that which watches from the corner of the room

this house is a gas lamp
soot frosts its glasswhite gut

the officer closes his eyes
two blank pennies in a fount

from the bag I watch his face turn away

from the corner his body bending towards mine

+

the officer said – oh, it’s very common for culprits to go missing – I said my son isn’t a culprit, and how dare he imply it – and one of the officers stood up by the window and looked out – he didn’t want to look us full in the eye – he made it clear, he made it clear – from the moment he set foot in the house – the moment he set foot – what he thought of us – and when they come back a few days later – I think the Tuesday, I think the Tuesday – they said what were you wearing on the night of the fire? – I said probably – probably – your new trousers – and he said was you wearing a yellow shirt? – I said yes – Brown shoes? – I said yes – and he took out the items from a plastic bag – he took your things from a plastic bag – and he says does this look like it? Does this look like it belongs to you? – I says yes – and he says do you recognise this key? – I said why don’t we try it – and we struggled – and it fit – I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry – so I said what are you sorry for? I want to see my son – stammer, stammer, they say they don’t think it is a good idea – I said, I am your father – I said, I said, I am your father – your father – I want to see you –

– they led us down to a room – and on the table there you was – no face, nothing to speak of – I said – I said – this is the body where you found the clothes? – nod, nod – So I said, it must be you – this must be my son

–

You came, dad –