Old letters

Old letters—yellowing paper
in an old shoe box
once upon a time they meant the world to her
once upon a time,
she wrote them too—
her favourite perfume sprayed on the ivory
embossed paper
and she took her time
using her best penmanship
once upon a time,
she sealed the back with an old wax seal
she found in a flea market
once upon a time
it wasn't a family heirloom
like she liked to tell everyone
no—
once upon a time,
she'd walk to the post box
and give her letter a quick peck before she dropped
it in the opening
and home she'd walk, with a smile upon her face
and every day after
she'd make the long walk to her letter box
to see whether there was a reply

soon—the letters stopped
and she stopped writing them too
and when she could bear it no more
she stopped reading the old letters
and put them in a shoe box
hid them between the old linen and woolen clothes
no one wore anymore
and there they sat
and waited
and weathered