I haven’t seen many philatelists lately
with their square tongues and perforated bubbly saliva
affixing stamps in neat little pages of boxes
Prizes from all over the world and times
of yore, tiny vignettes of who we are and
who we have been in square-inches
Marked in currencies frankly no longer around
in denominations too small to matter any longer
but I knew a girl from there once
To convey ones thoughts at one time was much dearer
As a child I would send self-addressed unstamped envelopes
in envelopes addressed to the government (stamped of course)
requesting first-day-of-issue stamps
Pristine inaugurations in thumbnail landscape
postmarked to commemorate the christening event,
a landmark in posterity – oh, a new stamp!
The idea that we have ideas to convey
to others that we would pay to have delivered
in good faith by others
But now
feeling un-affixed and postage due
I upload this onto my pressed wordblog for you
Chagall 2018
Alphabet City 
Thanks for this one. Nicely written and it brought back memories. I collected stamps (when it was common, maybe ’59, early ’60’s…) Always sent the self addressed envelopes for first day of issues… It was such a big deal, and there was this boy I liked in stamp club, and on and on. 🙂 Very few would understand nowadays. We thought they’d be worth something someday, but alas…. A couple of years ago I could hardly give my old collection away.
You are welcome, Betty. Thanks for the good read and the comment. My stamps are in a yellowing pink-plastic box that I run into at various times in my life. They are a sure source of melancholy in how they invoke an old sense of youth and of intrigue about time and the world. First-day-issues were the greatest thing! What a service really. Do they still exist?!? —CC
Good question (wondering if they still exist). I know the post office still sells blocks of stamps for collectors but never hear about first day of issues. What’s funny is that I still have the urge to save stamps from Christmas cards etc., that are beyond the usual. But discovered it was a waste of time nowadays. What a shame people hardly use them anymore. Thanks for the memories. 🙂
Assuming you’re in the U.S. –
https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2017/pb22458/html/info2_001.htm
Thanks for the link! They DO still have them. Wonder what age group has an interest in collecting these days (besides those of us who remember from the past….)