Love Letters

by Inside the Liar   Jan 16, 2014


There is a collection of love letters
that I keep hidden,
away from prying eyes,
sealed inside a bag
inside a box
inside a container
underneath my bed.

These letters have lived for eight years,
some of them tearing, yellowing with age;
their words barely visible held beneath the light.
Their author has been gone from my life
for seven years.
Gone, disappeared,
without a thought,
without a goodbye,
without a forwarding address.

These letters have come close to being
used for kindling
far more often than they should have,
for these letters have done nothing wrong.
They soothed.
They caressed.
They professed their undying love,
and then...
They neglected to ever come again.

I have threatened to throw them away,
to send them back,
to somehow rid myself of them,
so as to forget that period in my life.
But, in the end,
I cannot part with them.

For parting with them would mean
giving away the last of my innocence,
turning my back on my first love
and my first heartbreak.

So I keep these letters hidden away,
sealed inside a bag
inside a box
inside a container
beneath my bed.
Rarely do those moments come
when I pull them out.

When I reread them,
I let his love pour over me,
a lost lover's forgotten embrace.

But I keep the memory fleeting,
and then I lock them away
again.

C. 2014 S. Sieglaff

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Latest Comments

  • 9 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    This poem starts off the New Year as my personal favorite! This is such a heartwarming poem that I do believe all men and women can relate to and be touched by in so many ways.
    The author writes of the letters, where they are and how they comfort her. I love the simplistic tone of this piece and the touch of repetition is brilliant and works wonderfully in this poem. There is a message of sadness; loss of a love, but a deeper message of taking the good memories and keeping them as a positive.

    This poem captivated me, truly is a beautiful poem!

  • 10 years ago

    by Colm

    It's nice to read some poems from you again!

    Anyway, this has quite a lot going for it. I like the matter of fact tone, it helps present an honest voice. The reader can almost see the letters, under the bed, yellow in the light.

    'Gone, disappeared,
    without a thought,
    without a goodbye,
    without a forwarding address.'
    ^^
    This came a little too close to teen angst for me. But it is interesting because you were probably a teen when these letters were written, so it is like you are revisiting your past self.

    I really really like the third stanza, the wording is very crisp, the letters personified, so much is said and the rhyme at the end fits in very well and helps add to the sense of a cycle which is what the last line describes. Excellent writing here.

    'But, in the end,
    I cannot part with them.'
    ^^
    I think the poem takes a turn for the worst here, to be honest. I think the poem from here to the end goes on a little too long, goes over old ground somewhat, and are too... final. I think in a way the last 3 stanzas read something like an epilogue, that the tension in the poem has been revealed. You contradict yourself sometimes too, as the letters are taken out and put back nearly too often. It isn't bad writing as such, I think rest of the poem deserves a better ending rather than one that peters out. Overall though, this poem was pretty original and interesting, with parts that are emotional also. Nice to see it posted, keep writing!

  • 10 years ago

    by Hellon

    I read this a couple of times yesterday and have come back today because there is just something about this write that has gotten to me and...honestly I don't know why. It's not the best written poem I've read but...it's one of the most honest ones of the week so...I'm nominating it in the hope that the judges will consider it.

    I think you got me when you said in the first stanza that these letters are in a box, in a container...under your bed...trying very hard to conceal them but...hey we all know that doesn't work...right.

    The rest...well...you have considered burning them...haven't we all but...you still find comfort in them and..you always will...even if you finally pluck up the courage to burn them..they will still burn in your mind forever...first love always will.

    Yes...this is a poem about first love but.. it wasn't your usual type..crying, abusing etc...it was actually quite mature and accepting of the fact that this person is no longer in your life...