The Letters Received

When I was little I could not believe I got my first letter

It was an opportunity to visit down under with other kids

I didn’t get to go but more letters would come my way

Letters of friends, family, events, and more were read

It was always exciting to think about each and every one

But as you get older you also become more prone to others

The annoying letters, the bad letters that can harass nonstop

Those started to arrive in my mailbox when I was 15 years old

And it’s weird how those letters can be shaped like packages

Clogging up the mailbox space that the fun letters could use

From around 17-21 years old I was spammed constantly

Weeks or months of checking the box to see it stuffed

You’d be stunned if you saw it and how stubborn it was

The jaws of life would be needed to pry that mailbox open

I wish I could’ve returned the letters to the post office

But I was too young to walk the far journey to cancel

So I had to pray for the day they’d stop while I dealt with each

Pouring out all the letters and trying to sort them out

Analyzing every single bad letter from the good ones

Eventually they eased up and the mail was fine once more

As I get older I finally began moving into my own home

Seeing all my new neighbors up and down the streets

Introducing myself and seeing their unique personalities

Getting to know them and their environments of living

Eventually earning trust to handle their letters if they’re busy

Whether they’re on vacation, at work, seeing loved ones

Whatever it may be someone might ask you to tend to it

Maybe even while they’re at home they could ask you

Being friendly to others allows you to get to know each other

While the letters are private you can see what’s on top

You can tell the good letters from the annoying and bad ones

Maybe even talk about it and share your own experiences

One day I noticed a neighbor has been gone for a while

They recently moved in to the neighborhood not long ago

Besides the lawn up front no one’s checked the mailbox

So I decided to go take a look and check in on it

As I opened the mailbox I was greeted with history again

It was as if I was gazing at the same stuffed box I once had

I could not believe what I was seeing in this little container

Packages and messages crammed inside that suffocates

Like myself in the past I had no idea when it would end

Or when the person would return to their humble abode

I looked around at the other neighbors nearby this house

So many with clean cut lawns, lights and nice mailboxes

There goes one checking and reading their sweet letter

Completely oblivious to how others around them are doing

I knew I had to help this neighbor at least tend to this

Which meant I had to take these back to the post office

Such a far walk it’d be to drop them off there

I wish they’d have their building more accessible to cars

But I guess they really want you to sit with those letters

As I gathered up the courage I reflected on my experience

How I handled the heavy letters coming persistently

That rarely works for everyone and no one should deal with it

Finally I gathered all the unwanted letters and took off

Another neighbor spotted me and asked where I was going

After saying where I was heading they tried to keep it real

Telling me that it’s pointless and I could end up being hurt

It’s frustrating running into these kinds of people all over

Being sensible is not a crime rather it’s the downers who suck

The irony present here but it’s quite true when you think it

Is it so hard to at least be grounded instead of underground

While optimists aspire to fly downers can drag you to hell

Some do it knowingly yet others see it as realistic vision

As I headed down the path to the post office the sky grew dark

No matter what time one leaves it will always grow dim

Down the long narrow road I traversed with the box of letters

The night air bringing with it a sudden chill filling my lungs

Quickening my pace hoping to get there before too long

Along the way I saw a few cars sprawled on the roadsides

Looking as though they were in different car accidents

I remember the many times I got into collisions myself

There was the huge lake off the road shining in the moonlight

Suddenly I felt myself getting tired from the walk

My eyes wanting to close for a moment to get some rest

But I dare not and be glad this wasn’t occurring in the water

Although I sometimes feel like I will end up swimming one day

I can see the post office light off in the distance finally

Round the bend I continue walking as my legs get heavier

The air got even colder and my lungs are stinging

A big truck turned over here and the big doors flare open

I peeked into the back to find so much junk laying around

Knives, forks, medicine, bleach, ropes, cups, hammers and alcohol

This must’ve been heading to the store in town but here it is

However it looks like it’s been laying here for many years

Curious to know how many people come by and take stuff

Makes me reminisce being back in my own home

I need to hurry and get back before it gets too late

Up the steep hill I climbed as my legs were shaking

Even a car would’ve struggled going up this steep slope

At long last I made it and there was the neighbor already there

This person I didn’t know so well yet here I am helping out

Resolving their own issues with the mail that tries to bury them

Maybe because when I was younger there was no one to help me

I could never let someone else go through the struggles I did

As things were starting to get resolved I knew my job was done

I had to get home so I left early knowing they were in good hands

The night grew even colder as I came out of the post office

It practically wanted to snow but it wouldn’t drop flakes only rain

Down the slope I tried to carefully descend when suddenly I slipped

Tumbling down, crashing past the truck’s junk that scattered the street

I collapsed onto grass severely cut and bruised from the familiar long fall

With no one around again I don’t know if I can crawl my way home

I’m so tired from this journey into the dark night I should rest

There’s the lake nearby that I can perhaps wash off the wounds

Slipping into the pool I thought of before offered some relief

But my eyes grow weary and I started to give up and rest

While still floating above water and under the moonlight’s glow

I can not fall back like before and let the downers win

Continue seeing the bright side even if the sun hasn’t risen yet

I tried to help someone who was buried under letters

Because I once suffered through the same ordeal

And now I find myself fighting the effects once again

Back at home the letters were flooding my mailbox

Wondering if I will survive the night here and if it was worth it

I tried to make a swim for the edge of the lake and back to the grass

But my legs were so heavy and my arms tired from the letters

I was slipping further as the night was darkest at this moment

I remember this situation before many, many years ago

Once again no one seems to be around to see any of this

Sinking bit by bit I close my eyes ready for one last attempt

What I couldn’t see was the sun starting to poke out at the horizon

As I opened my eyes under the water I thought I saw a hand above

Could this be real or was it like the hand that saved me before

Whatever it was I reached out for it and they did the same

Saving me in time as the letters suddenly flew away from my mailbox. . .