Thomas Mansfield Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

I was having a de-junk of some drawers in my spare bedroom/storage/junk room. I came across a large number of airline ticket stubs that I had got into the habit of collecting. I never really thought about why. I did not realise there were so many... But one thing is for sure and that was they needed to go...  So I gave them a little send off before ditching them... 

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:)

Time To Let Go

Time To Let Go

A handful of paper and worn ticket stubs
So many downed trees and rainforest shrubs
Shredded and mashed into paper pulp
The waste o'er the world is enough to make one gulp
Each of these stubs carries a very true tale
Of flights overseas way beyond any pale
Collected and stored for he knew not why
They became an obsession yet in a drawer they did lie
Perhaps when I am old with grandchild on my knee
Stubs strewn 'cross the floor haphazard to see
"Pick one up child and pass it to me
And I'll tell you of that flight and tell the story"
And with the paper in hand I'll smile and I'll start
And bewilder the child with an orator's art
And embellish the truth where I may not recall
And watch the child's face enraptured in thrall.
And bring each worthless stub a life of its own
Enrich the flat card by making each child moan
As they shriek and they clap and they clamour for more
As I return the collection once more to the drawer.
But this is just dreaming -just romantic notion
That wastes idle time and causes commotion.
For there is no grandchild,nor prospect that I see
From my kids who lost interest in my stories and me.
Perhaps one day all this might just change
Then my stories I'll make and history rearrange
Until then I admit and ponder and mutter
That these stubs are old paper and unwanted clutter.
So I emptied the drawer and the stubs will be tossed
If the time comes then I will count the cost.
By then more adventures will have been and gone
I don't think that those grandchildren will ever receive none.
For if that time comes I am sure there'll be more
Flight ticket stubs filling the bottom drawer....

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Ranaditya Adhikary June 7, 2025 at 12:16 PM What a wonderful poem! A delightful simple tale but oh! so amazing to read, thanks for posting, Thomas :-)

Paul Callus November 7, 2014 at 12:45 PM Oh how I enjoyed this write, Thomas! Reminds me of me...I have always been in the habit of collecting such things...they bring back memories, and the older we get it's these memories that keep us going. Luckily I have a granddaughter who loves listening to stories, true or exaggerated!! I would hold on to those stubs for a while longer....// paul

Anoucheka Gangabissoon November 6, 2014 at 9:08 AM lovely each paper has its own story, but the poet could not share it, lovely indeed