The Mail Slot

With regal gold plating, (or is it brass?), you greet the postman

Darling of the doorstep

Each day you welcome the mail

From coupons and catalogs,

Flyers and invitations,

To bills (must payment be remitted?!)

And checks (never enough!)

And hand-written cards that ink the heart-felt sentiments of our beloveds

More than a receptacle,

You are a gateway,

A border crossing,

From the bustling, crowded city,

To the quiet foyer of a quaint and well-mannered townhome

Those who pass your threshold hail from all zip codes, nearby and afar

Their colorful stamps and postmarks reveal their unremarkable and exotic origins

From the elegant stationary of the refined,

To the uninspired cardboard of merchants,

And perfunctory Manila envelopes of office secretaries,

Through you, household business of all kinds is conducted

News is delivered

Documents arrive and depart

Commerce is exchanged

Adventures are shared

Love is felt

Smiles and tears respond accordingly to what words the eyes see

You are the heartbeat of the home

A staple of citizenship

A connecting station to the outside world

Some days you delight

Some days you bore

Some days you bring grief

But every day, your bundle is sought

Except on Sundays and bank holidays, of course

The tiny mail slot

Which opens wide possibilities and broadens our world

And leaves us wanting more