The deck fans out, paper-thin promises of triumph,
the weight of military tanks, the speed of racing cars,
each card a champion waiting for its name to be called.
I press them to my chest, sticky fingers gripping history,
knowing the playground will judge me by numbers alone.
Armour thickness, horsepower, displacement—
the hard facts of victory, stacked in my hands.
Dubreq’s mark, Waddingtons’ legacy,
the packs accumulating in worn pockets,
fifty pence at a time, a treasury of childhood strategy.
A call rings out— my mate pulls a battleship,
I counter with a fighter jet. The numbers tell a truth
I can’t argue— I concede, surrender my card to the pile.
A slow lesson in fortune and risk,
the thrill of collecting, the silent grief of losing.
Tomorrow, I’ll win it back— or find a new deck to chase.
Top Trumps is my world, and I am its architect.
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Author:
crypticbard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: June 14th, 2025 15:30
- Comment from author about the poem: Top Trumps, a popular card game, originated in the 1970s, gaining significant traction in the 1980s, particularly among children and especially boys in the UK. The game, originally priced affordably for children to collect, featured various themes like military vehicles, transport, and racing cars. Dubreq, the original publisher, was later acquired by Waddingtons, who continued manufacturing the game into the early 1990s.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 14
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Tristan Robert Lange, Doggerel Dave
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Comments7
A weekend sentimental journey… top trump cards where a real thing among senior primary and middle schoolers way back when.
I sense not only a nostalgic story from the past but a metaphor as well in a world where every move is a gamble and win or loose we get up the next day to try to win back what we lost. A lovely write that brings back memories. A fave
You got me! Ho knew trumping was something learnt in middle school!? 🙏🏻🕊
Facinating. I never knew. In my day (I mean kiddie day) and inherited from my Dad were cigarette cards (cough cough). But although there were games derived for those not interested in collecting, this was for the conkers, marbles and knucklebones (don't remember what we called it - five stones?) off season.
Your game sounds very war/competitive for boys. Thanks for this slice of social history.
Thanks Dave. Yeah I remember those ciggie cards, my older cousins had them all over the place.
Wow! Sentimental, nostalgic...a great metaphor...and prophetic (when we look at Trump's array of tanks and dictator's dreams...sorry, I'm stuck living here in the Umbrella States of Aggression...pardon me...USA 🤷♂️) all at the same time. Wonderful job on this, my friend! A fave for sure! 🌹👏
Yeah. There is that and I thought the peeps of my generation had something with the same brand that’s now eclipsed by time and current events. An excellent exercise, thanks heaps🕊️🙏🏻
A fascinating collection and a wonderful trip down nostalgia avenue.I had cards when I was a kid they were the Australian animals.I particularly liked the Boobook owl.This is a great poem.Took me to happy places beyond.
Oh, I remember those! My friends where more about cars and mechanised stuff so it was a rare treat to play animals and such🕊️🙏🏻
Superb work.
Thanks Thomas🕊️🙏🏻
Lovely nostalgia, not only were they competitive and fun but very educational and still going strong today, I sense this is also a bit more than card's, what we might lose today maybe we can get back tomorrow, enjoyed the read
Yes, so glad there is always that bit more. Thank you so much 🕊🙏🏻
You are very welcome
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