My Policeman

by Bethan Roberts

He has a lovely Brighton accent, very non-U, which he doesn’t in the least modify for my benefit.

What else can make him real, except for my words on paper? When no one else can know, how can I convince myself of his actual presence, of my actual feelings?

I tell you all this, Patrick, so you’ll know how it was between me and Tom. So you’ll know there was tenderness, as well as pain. So you’ll know how we failed, both of us, but also how we both tried.