At bottom of driveway this morning - a big surprise

Mailbox had been knocked off post - lying on its side

Covered in leaves and many insects crawling all over

Mind wondering if a freak of nature or something other



Picked up box and placed it carefully back on its pole

Reminding myself to bring a hammer down before all

Of the afternoon mail arrives and postman then knocks

The box off post again as ads and circulars are tossed



Into a box which has absolutely no secure fastening

And is just sitting lightly on post needing only passing

Breeze - to again send it scurrying into the mud below

To lie once again at place where it can't be used to show



Where a man lives simply and without any at all fuss

And has done now for a quarter century - which must

Be some kind of record for the street where box sits ...

As all others have come and gone - for they did not fit



- Tristram



(c) Christopher W. Thomas

8:50am Friday April 3rd, 1998