“The Ghost of the Ticket Seller” by Xanthe McElroy

Xanthe McElroy (age 9)

THE GHOST OF THE TICKET SELLER

He arrives
no more than a lingering soul
He sells no more than a piece of air
to only what he believes is there

He calls the prices
to the lonely station
Nobody waits in the night-time outdoors
But still he sells the absent tickets

He calls a lunch break
and off he goes
Packing up his bag
He floats to the streets below

Where the owls hoot in the distance
He returns still selling
Nothing real disturbs him

from 2016 Rattle Young Poets Anthology

__________

Why do you like to write poetry?

Xanthe McElroy: “I like writing poetry because I can pour my imagination out onto the page. I can write about anything—from fighting pirates to hugging bears, and it feels like my words just dance out onto the page, as I have more ideas, I can simply add more, there’s no limit to my words!”

Rattle Logo