LOVE LETTERS Poem by Jan Jacob Slauerhoff

Love letters surpass a lover who's gone.
Once the letters have arrived, it's quite enough:
For they'll be yours forever, while it's odds on
Your love will leave bankrupt or in a huff.

Day or night it's there for you to see
Whenever you have the missive near;
You let its tender radiance appear,
Read every word, think to yourself: that's me!

Women change - texts, written, change no more.
Though one laughs sagely or bitterly weeps
When contemplating foolish words of yore.

But if I could, I'd brave both sands and deeps,
Forever strive fresh wadis and ports to reach,
If I could be sure of a letter in each.