Edges ragged as their scribbled messages

Elegy for the Personal Letter
by Allison Joseph

I miss the rumpled corners of correspondence,
the ink blots and crossouts that show
someone lives on the other end, a person
whose hands make errors, leave traces.
I miss fine stationary, its raised elegant
lettering prominent on creamy shades of ivory
or pearl grey. I even miss hasty notes
dashed off on notebook paper, edges
ragged as their scribbled messages—
can't much write now—thinking of you.
When letters come now, they are formatted
by some distant computer, addressed
to Occupant or To the family living at—
meager greetings at best,
salutations made by committee.
Among the glossy catalogs
and one time only offers
the bills and invoices,
letters arrive so rarely now that I drop
all other mail to the floor when
an envelope arrives and the handwriting
is actual handwriting, the return address
somewhere I can locate on any map.
So seldom is it that letters come
That I stop everything else
to identify the scrawl that has come this far—
the twist and the whirl of the letters,
the loops of the numerals. I open
those envelopes first, forgetting
the claim of any other mail,
hoping for news I could not read
in any other way but this.

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Dog 'stache...doesn't get much cooler than this, people.


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If home appliances were inhabited by a community of tiny, industrious, architecturally advanced people. Made me look. Photo tour of a senior thesis exhibition of Kyoto University of Art and Design.




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Made entirely of biodegradable materials, this sleek, zen-looking toothbrush will keep your teeth pearly white.


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These calling cards are beyond beautiful. If they weren't so darn expensive, I'd get some (the owls, of course)



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I always love when jewelry serves a purpose beyond looking pretty. These engraved necklaces in gold, stainless steel, brushed metal, and gunmetal are from a new nonprofit that rehabilitates war-affected children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[and you gotta love that they use one of my favorite Yann Tiersen songs in their intro. video]


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Have a happy Thursday!


<3