Anthony Emmerson

buried treasure

by Anthony Emmerson

Saturday 4th February 2012 8:38 pm

buried treasure

how could you forget so soon

that moon-faced milky bar smile?

sure, it’s been a while

and now there’s only you

to keep him safe.

a face every mother could love.

he was good to you.

those day trips

with the boys in blue

the view of mill towns

long-lens

front page

never-to-be-forgotten days.

one day he’ll turn up.

a button

a buckle

a sandal

a mutilated sole

a fossil fingerprint

an echo through the black past

you kept the mental map

stored the voices

just

for laughs

but now

your lips are sealed

nil by mouth.

again you’ll leave together

hand-in-hand

with the only thing of value

you ever had

his name

will always be

your claim

your choice

your currency.

◄ genesis

the process ►

Comments

tony sheridan

Mon 1st Oct 2012 15:14

What can I say? Thanks for posting this. Well done. Take care, Tony.

<Deleted User> (10013)

Thu 9th Feb 2012 00:10

Wow.

John Coopey

Mon 6th Feb 2012 20:17

Powerful stuff, AE.

Laura Taylor

Mon 6th Feb 2012 12:20

Oh my god. You threw me with Milky Bar Kid and those glasses on his face and then I realised who he was.

This is fucking fantastic - scuse the french. This will haunt me now. I have goosebumps. Sorry - it's robbed me of my normal gobbiness.

Great great piece Anthony, and brilliantly written.

Greg Freeman

Sun 5th Feb 2012 22:16

I wanted to come back to this, to say more about it. We've all - nearly all of us - talked about the evil, the tragedy, and how some have some local knowledge about it. Apart from Ann, we've hardly acknowledged the understated effectiveness of the poem itself, its chillingly ambivalent title - and how it's as much about the killer as his victim.

Cate Greenlees

Sun 5th Feb 2012 15:46

Hello Anthony, its been a while since I commented on this site, but I couldn`t let this one go without an acknowledgement .
It`s a very powerful and moving piece of work. Even the title hurts something inside. Its the spectoral nightmare of anyone with children or grandchildren. Like Andy says for the family it will never go away.
May they both rot in hell.
Cate xx

M.C. Newberry

Sun 5th Feb 2012 15:04

A reminder that evil is out there, despite the
best efforts of gullible naive fools to persuade us otherwise.
"Beyond Belief" was the title of the book about
this affront to humanity.
Not a view held, I imagine, by any copper!

Andy N

Sun 5th Feb 2012 13:31

i used to work with some members of this family years back, matey and i remember over 30 years after it had gone, the pain was still there.. i agree with isobel totally - it's scary to believe that one day people will forget this face and what happened... it's the same boat as my most recent poem blogged on here - there is some things that shouldn't be forgotten.. brave piece, man - you have my kudos for it..

Julian (Admin)

Sun 5th Feb 2012 13:01

A tough one for sure, Anthony, and brave to write it. You do it well - I almost said do it 'justice'.
I had read this article, the one in Greg's link, and been shocked to see the photo. It's taken about a mile and a bit from my house, and I have walked up and down there regularly. At the time of the murders I, along with many others, used to walk these moors looking for signs, as the police had asked walkers to do. But we had understood the burial spot to be further east, on Saddleworth Moor.
It is strange how such things have tentacles. In the early 70s I taught at a school near Hutton, the Lancashire Police Headquarters. One of my pupils was the son of the detective in charge of the case, and the lad was weirdly obsessed with the whole thing. He sat in the class completely ignoring anything I tried to teach, and read transcripts of the trial. I often wonder what he went on to become.
I suspect that the body is not up here at all, otherwise it surely would have been found by now?
Thanks Anthony. Don't have nightmares, eh?

Ann Foxglove

Sun 5th Feb 2012 09:49

So chilling Anthony

one day he’ll turn up.

a button

a buckle

a sandal

On the page it looks such a simple little poem - but it's not is it?

Isobel

Sun 5th Feb 2012 00:13

That photograph is instantly recognisable for our generation but it's sad to think that one day it won't be recognised by anyone and there still won't be any conclusion to his story.

If ever there was a case for a death penalty, it would be theirs. No remorse and a colossal tax bill for feeding and housing them. They should both have been put to sleep - which would still have been too kind.

I'd agree with what has already been said - you are brave to tackle such an emotive subject.

<Deleted User> (6315)

Sat 4th Feb 2012 23:14

As Greg says, a hard subject to write on but I think this reads so very well.

:)

Greg Freeman

Sat 4th Feb 2012 22:21

This is a hard read, Anthony, but a very good poem. RIP Keith Bennett.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/07/winnie-johnson-keith-bennett-moors-murders

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