There is something special

About opening a letter

Not those junk sales letters

Nor those overdue bills

But a letter from a distant friend

You can see their name on the envelope

You touch the stamp they affixed

You pause to read how they addressed it

Checking the postmarked date

Wondering what they are writing about

Trying to recall your last contact

Then you open it carefully 

Using a well cherished opener

One thats been in your family a long time

Gently pulling out the letter inside

Lest anything hidden spills out

You unfold the pages

Start to read it slowly

Your mind forms each word

To the sound of their voice

You can hear them reading the letter to you

Its an old fashioned voice message

One that was recorded on paper

And sent to you in the mail

You conținue reading at a faster pace

Desperately hoping nothing is wrong

Thankfully there is only good news

You carefully put the letter back in the envelope

Smiling because your friend reached out

Not with a text or an email

They had put pen to paper just for you

You put the letter in a safe place

Knowing you can read it again later

With their voice talking in your head again

Picking up your phone to compose a text

Saying thank you for your letter

You delete it before sending

Searching for a pen and paper

You start to write a letter in reply

Filling pages with all your news, hopes and dreams

Inviting your friend to come and visit you

The ink is hardly dry as you put the stamp on

Walking quickly to the post office

Soon your letter is on its way

Your heart races each day the mail arrives

Waiting impatiently for their reply

A few weeks later their next letter arrives

This is so much more fun than emails or texts