(no subject)

Does this post seem somewhat late,
Consid’ring my vacation dates?
There’s more at work than mere jet lag
Or waiting for a missing bag,
Arriving at my first hotel,
I soon found out not all was well:
My lanyard pouch was left ajar,
My passport lost! I’d traveled far.
It must have fallen on the ground.
I checked the airport lost-and-found,
To no avail. At least I’d brought
My visa letter; I would not
Be turned away but spend the night
At that hotel, tho all affright.
To make things worse, it’s hard to get
Good service in the week of Tet
In Vietnam: The embassy
And consulate were closed to me.
My tour involved domestic flights,
But once I took the bus all night.
Mercifully, some kindly sort
Did submit my pass-a-port.
The bad news: I was in Hanoi;
It had to ship from Saigon. Oy!
I’d have to spend another day
Or two before I flew away,
And when I did, the different route
Was many hours longer. Shoot!
I paid a lot for one mistake.
The thought can cause my head to shake.
Some ten if-onlys fill my head
Whenever I reflect. That said,
I try to see the brighter side.
For instance, what a nice bus ride.
It made a conversation piece
With others on the tour at least.
I also got to visit two
More countries’ airports; that was new.
The trip had felt a little brief;
A longer stay meant some relief.
Despite the waits, I felt less bored.
The prices, I could still afford.
A different airline would provide
More shows and movies on my ride.
In short, I’d say I’m almost glad
I made an error just so bad.