untie the thread and remove the slip inside. write the shortest possible reply to one of the unanswered — not the kindest, not the most thorough; the shortest that is also true. seal it. address it. carry it out the same day. if the person has gone, address it to the room they last sat in. the slip will continue to weigh nothing in either pocket.
ingredients
- one short sentence, true
- a postcard, blank, addressed to oneself
- the smell of paper kept too long
- a pen with usable ink
- one stamp, found or kept
- a walk to the box, however slow
unanswered letters do not accuse. they wait. the cure shortens the wait without shortening the sentence.
see the pen, the library, and the small margin where unfinished thoughts go.