Sad I Ams

Sad I Ams
I am
the ring
from an empty Cola can
the scrapings
from an unwashed porridge pan
the severed arm
of last year’s Action man.

I am
the envelope
on which the gum is gone
the Sellotape
where you can’t find the end
the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip
the dried up liquid paper
that mars instead of mends
the stamped addressed reply
that you forgot
to send.

I am
the battery in which no charge is left
the starter motor which remains inert
the tyre on which the tread is worn
the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark
the carburettor chocked by bits of dirt
the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.

I am
a garden
overgrown with weeds
a library book
that no one ever reads
a stray
which no one thinks to feed
the piece of good advice
which no one seems to need.

– By Trevor Millum

 

In the first stanza, the poet is describes himself as the things that are usually thrown away because they have become useless to the owner:-the ring of the can is usually thrown away after we open the can; the scrapings should be cleaned when the pans are put to wash –nobody wants to keep the dirt on the pan! And finally -when the toy’s arm is broken- the ‘action’ figure toy becomes distorted- next year a new action figure would become more popular.
In the second stanza, the poet is now describing used things that cannot be used any longer. They are: the envelope where the gum doesn’t stick- perhaps it is an old envelope; Sellotape that is old or not marked where the end is impossible to find; stapler that has no place to attach the bullets- thus, it has become not functional; spring -less bulldog clip: one without spring would not be able to function; liquid paper that is dry; and an envelope that he had already put the stamp on but had forgotten to post.
Similar to the earlier stanzas; the third stanza also describes things that have become useless to the owner. They are however, concerned with parts of the car: Battery that needs to be charged- it shows that the car cannot be driven; starter motor which does not work; tyre has no threads anymore- it becomes dangerous to drive with such tyres as they have no grip; Spark plug that does not work-the engine of the car would not start if the plugs do not function; carburettor that needs to be serviced before it can be used and chromium plating which is not shining!
In the final or fourth stanza, the poet describes things that are not paid attention to such as: the garden that is not taken care of which is full of weeds- which implies that no one has cleaned the garden; a library book which is probably outdated that no one wants to borrow it; an animal such as a stray dog that no one takes care of and finally good advice that no one heeds.