Dear ______,

You write differently now:
Lines are tighter;
Composition, leaner;
Articulation, sharper;
Optimism, cautious;
Scepticism, healthy;
Intimacy, measured;
Confidence, quiet;
And a spattering of
Self-awareness.

What has remained:
Vulnerability, courageous;
And warmth, honest.
I wouldn’t have recognised you
Any other way.

I do miss, however,
Your beautifully meandering phrases,
That occasional stunning metaphor
You used to employ almost innocently,
Just in passing,
As if it were nothing more than
A silly observation of a dreamy child.

It becomes you. This new style.
So considered, so deliberate.
Precise.
The arresting immediacy of finger-snaps
More than the comforting captivation
Of distracted finger-drumming
On a coffee table.
I wonder if it is this
That precludes the satin serendipity
I so used to look forward to.

Keep writing, though.
Stay in touch.

Always your reader,
_________.