Letter Project 8

Dear Prose,

On behalf of the general population and yet-uneducated portion of the bourgeoisie, I would like to thank you for your place in our lives, and apologize for my peers who know not your name. You are too kind to the literarily-deficient; us humans take things we think firmly within our mastery for granted. But let those who know not Poetry have access to language, you decreed, and as you said, so it was. A noble declaration, but it saddens me that you do not get half the appreciation you deserve.

Just the other day, my French teacher was asking us to list literary genres. As soon as someone mentioned your brother, Theatre, distinct in his need to be read aloud, I knew the other two had to be Poetry, distinct in her rhythm and occasional rhyme,  and yourself, already too-familiar to be considered, yet the most flexible of the three.

But what could I do? While I offered Poetry with a tentative edge to my voice, I remained uncertain about how you translated into the French language. The last thing I wanted to do was sound like too much of an Anglo in my French class. But my teacher just kept giving more and more hints, going off into this long story about a man who wanted to learn poetry for a woman, but then realized that he could already speak in something just as powerful all along. Ah, I was so sure then that you were the missing piece in the puzzle, and longed to see you take your place on the whiteboard. So I scribbled your name on my hand and shoved it into my neighbour’s face, hoping that she might have any idea how your name translated. I think my teacher might’ve notice (ah, second-row seats) because she then said, exasperated, that this word she was looking for was the exact same in all the languages she knew.

I don’t think my hand’s ever shot up faster. Oh, I only half-managed to put a French accent on your name though. My tongue kind of slipped.

I remained vaguely amused for the rest of the period. It was funny to hear half the class groan because it was something they should’ve known.

Like I said, I really am sorry for how you don’t seem to be general knowledge, but thank you for giving me the chance to show off by knowing something basic. It’s nothing to be proud of, but it sure was fun.