The Identification (McGough)
The Identification, by Roger McGough (1937-)
So you think its Stephen?
Then I’d best make sure
Be on the safe side as it were.
Ah, there’s been a mistake. The hair
you see, it’s black, now Stephen’s fair …
What’s that? The explosion?
Of course, burnt black. Silly of me.
I should have known. Then let’s get on.
The face, is that the face mask
that mask of charred wood
blistered scarred could
that have been a child’s face?
The sweater, where intact, looks
in fact all too familiar.
But one must be sure.
The scoutbelt. Yes that’s his.
I recognise the studs he hammered in
not a week ago. At the age
when boys get clothes-conscious
now you know. It’s almost
certainly Stephen. But one must
be sure. Remove all trace of doubt.
Pull out every splinter of hope.
Pockets. Empty the pockets.
Handkerchief? Could be any schoolboy’s.
Dirty enough. Cigarettes?
Oh this can’t be Stephen.
I don’t allow him to smoke you see.
He wouldn’t disobey me. Not his father.
But that’s his penknife. That’s his alright.
And that’s his key on the keyring
Gran gave him just the other night.
Then this must be him.
I think I know what happened
… … … about the cigarettes
No doubt he was minding them
for one of the older boys.
Yes that’s it.
That’s him.
That’s our Stephen.
See also Hautman, Pete. Invisible. New York: Simon Pulse (divison of Simon & Schuster),
2006.