The business of living
THIS IS A LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR READERS
21 September 2021
4:11 AM
Dear T.,
The days wander by so aimlessly, without rhythm or tangible purpose. I often find myself compensating in poetry, here is symmetry, reason and rhyme. A purpose, a pursuit, a point.
When your days start to blur together, I hope in poetry you can redefine the lines, sharpen the edges and build structure again.
You know I live in South Africa? Just know I’m all those miles away, thinking of you, connecting with your every word. They made it here, all this way…I mean to say. Traces of you are flying, soaring around the world, uncaged.
You are free. You just don’t know it yet.
Sunshine Kid
POSTSCRIPT
6 July 2025
12:21 AM
I wrote this letter at a time when I felt like I had no value. Like I was invisible, and didn’t matter to any one. And every post from Read a Little Poetry made me feel a little more seen, a little less alone. An experience that stands out the most for me, is when you shared a poem called, “Most Days I Want To Live” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi. This poem, and your accompanying words, felt like an echo of my own soul.
When you went on hiatus, I started to feel anxious. I refreshed my emails and reread your old poems, impatient. Then, I thought… If your words expressed my own feelings so vividly, perhaps I could return the favour. Let you know, in any way I could, that you weren’t alone. Your words had weight and value, and they landed somewhere beautiful and safe.
That this too, was a form of escape.
Thank you for everything, T.
Sincerely,
Naledi
