Old Postcards

 

OLD POSTCARDS

Tattered and faded

picture postcards

of nameless maidens,

and forgotten lands

set in exotic climes

and idyllic villages,

all framed in an age

when colonialism, 

royalty and wars

reigned supreme.

Cursive impressions,

indigo inked

and penciled,

tell stories

of feluccas on the Nile,

Michaelangelo in the Sistine,

moonlit Balinese beaches,

trekking Machu Picchu,

homesick French soldiers.

Shared testimonials, all,

these timeworn paper tales

for a shilling or more.

Colourfully stamped 

with squares,

rectangles,

triangles,

etched images 

of Queen Victoria,

Belgian missionaries,

Honai huts,

kangaroos,

edelweiss,

biplanes,

and countless wonders of the world,

all postmarked from a bygone age.

Neither snow nor rain 

nor heat nor gloom of night 

stayed the Orient Express,

Special Delivery,

Zeppelin Luftpost,

or Boat Mail.

Horseman, 

footman,

bicycle courier,

all kept their appointed 

destination.

As I read the words,

I hear the voices

of friends, 

of loved ones,

of acquaintances.

I imagine these picture postcards

when they reached the letterbox.

What joy,

what excitement,

what incredible news,

each card must have sparked

when remembered by one

who shared thoughts

and feelings from faraway.

© Breyel, Timm. "Old Postcards". 2026.