Surely the ghost of some postal worker still makes his nightly rounds, his routine too tedious for him to notice when it ended. He works so slowly he moves back in time carrying our dead letters to their lost addresses.
It’s silly to get sentimental. The dead have moved on. So should we. But isn’t it equally simpleminded to miss the special expertise of the departed in clarifying our long-term plans?
They never let us forget that the line between them and us is only temporary. Get out there and dance! the letters shout adding, Love always. Can’t wait to get home! And soon we will be. See you there.
Discuss Do you have any keepsakes from a loved one that you treasure? Understand
1. What happened to the speaker’s father? 2. What does the speaker want to shout to his father?
3. In the fourth stanza the speaker describes a photograph. Describe this photograph in your own words.
4. Why does the speaker think it is silly to be sentimental? 5. Who is the speaker talking to in the final line?
Explore 3 1. Choose your favourite image from the poem and explain why you like it.
2. ‘They never let us forget that the line / between them and us is only temporary.’ Explain what this line means to you.
Create
Write a letter to a loved one in which you share three things you appreciate about them. Give this letter to your loved one to have as a keepsake.
