The paperweight A History of the Titanic in 30 Pieces

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My father was a doctor,

and a patient actually remarked

that he seemed to have a lot of papers sitting on his desk

and no paperweight.

My father had absolutely no idea

that this would be the object

that the patient would then bring in to him.

The patient's brother had been a French polisher on the Titanic,

where he had got the leftover piece of wood

from a chair rail in one of the state rooms.

And in the centre of it, there is a rivet.

My father was asked if he would mind lending this for exhibitions,

which he was only too glad to do.

This has gone from being scrap steel and wood

to a travelling memento seen all over Northern Ireland.

My father must have been held in high esteem

for a patient to give him a piece of the Titanic.