Friday, April 6

The Right Address

She starts the letter again. Dear sir, she writes, in her flowing cursive script.

She sits back to admire her calligraphy. She has a very neat hand. Not only is it legible but it has a certain, fragile, perfect elegance. The letters don't lean onto each other, sagging under their own weight. Nor do they stand stiffly upright, pompously wanting nothing to do with each other. They establish an ideally friendly camaraderie. Each word forms a convivial meeting place and neighbouring words enjoy the most cordial nodding relationships.

The compliments she cherishes the most are the ones about her hand. She knows that they're true. Not lies told in sympathy or in a desperate attempt to provide solace and compensation. None of the extravagance of "You look delicious tonight" or "You make for delightful company". Nor the suspect offerings of people who love her. Or think they do.

Dear sir, she reads out loud, releasing the letters, allowing them to take shape in the air. She frowns in dissatisfaction. Too formal. But the 'Dear' suggests an informality, doesn't it? An endearment. That should be whispered into receptive darkness. Not demarcated graphically on glaring white, making claims that can't be sustained.

Another paper ball joins the gathering heap in the trash. Acquiring creases and crumples. Un-virgins sacrificed at the altar of character-building. She squares her shoulders and begins again.

How does one start a letter to a father one never knew.

13 comments:

Brown Magic said...

nice.

and I suggest, "'sup dad?"

Heh Heh said...

agree with b.m.
nice.

Anonymous said...

Hi Pop,
Did i pop of out of a test tube?

Shutterbug said...

Or maybe something more to what B.M. had to say..
"Sup Dad? You're Dad, right?" 8-|

Revealed said...

@bm, heh heh: Ty

@all (cept heh heh): You guys would sooooo suck at writing letters to fathers you never knew. Sigh.

Shutterbug said...

Ouch!! :(
True, but Ouch! :)

Cloudy said...

Nice read :) Love the way you describe your writing, that's how I'd think about y handwriting too... the pile of crumpled papers however, makes me wince -- I just can't stomach wasted paper! I'd cut out just the 'Dear ...' part and use the paper again :)

Cloudy said...

And oh, first!

Revealed said...

@bm (original): Heheh :)

@cloudy: That is *so* not a description of my writing. A description of my writing would be along the lines of 'chicken scratch'. This was just wishful thinking :).

wiseling said...

"How does one start a letter to a father one never knew?"
Honestly.. I think that would be a good way to start.. because, after all.. there is no right way, no?

Revealed said...

@wiseling: But course :). Would have been a perfect beginning.

Only I was thinking of it more metaphorically. As in how many of us actually know our fathers and vice versa :).

wiseling said...

@revealed: i think it works metaphorically as well.. because such a beginning would be so powerful, no? if you don't know what to do, confuse them with your profundity! heh.. :D

Revealed said...

@wiseling: Those are truly words of wisdom :). As one of my favrit mot juste deliverers from the past said, nothing can be considered intelligent if it can be easily understood :).