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Mailman
by
Sally Bliumis-Dunn


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Each day the mailman rides
to a dutiful stop, slides his hand

into the small aluminum tunnel
of our mailbox.

I wonder if the air feels differently
than it did a few years back —
all the emails zipping past him
like no-see-ums.

Sometimes I miss
seeing someone's script

make its way across the envelope
with the sure sense 
of the steady straight line,

and then unfolding the letter,
the slight shadows from
the creases as I read it,

reminding me 
for a moment of who 
had folded and tucked the letter 

into the envelope, 
sealed it with their tongue,
and carried it to a mailbox

where it sat with all
the other letters in a long silence
that could've lasted for days. 


From Second Skin (Wind Publications, 2010)
Used with the author's permission.


Sally Bliumis-Dunn teaches, is Associate Editor-at-Large and features writer for PLUME, and teaches a Personal Essay course at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Her poems have been published in a long list of distinguished journals and, in 2002, she was a finalist for the Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Prize. Sally is the author of four books; learn more about her here.

              

 


Post New Comment:
LindaCrosfield:
Passing this one on to letter-carrier friends. Enjoyed it very much.
Posted 04/12/2011 01:23 PM
Joe Sottile:
Yes, this is a graceful poem...Sally has many more refreshing poems at her website. Thank you, Sally and Jayne.
Posted 04/12/2011 10:19 AM
jeanie:
this is great! i love it. i have a letter-writer in my life now, and it is so refreshing!
Posted 04/12/2011 08:50 AM


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