April 2026
Reporting to the Home Office
The letter said you are illegal, liable to be detained, deported.
Fearful, obeying it, you come here very month
to meet the conditions of your immigration bail.
All you have done is fled danger, torture, war.
Here you are a criminal.
Now the shape behind the bulletproof glass calls you forward,
a uniform; eyes watchful, indifferent as the moon.
The volunteer, who has come with you,
steps back to wait for you.
You go forward to stand alone.
You feel the sweat gather on your neck.
Your hand crawls across the page of writing.
The uniform looks up from the papers,
One moment…
The volunteer smiles at the uniform.
To the young man she says
We’ll go outside and call your lawyer.
They leave.
The room breathes out.