postmaster

i love to get lettres in the mail.

i also love to write cards and lettres;
the paper, pen, ink..the stamps.
lettre writing is the one thing
i miss the most out on the road.

mother teresa was a lettre writer.
she actually sat down daily to type out
thank you notes to everyone who sent
donations to her missionary of charities.
the first time i saw mother t.
she was tucked into her small office
tap, tap, tapping away
on the keys of her remington!

sudha and i had traveled to calcutta
to meet mother t...
possibly to volunteer
at the home of the dying
or the home for spastic children.

mother teresa was a small, sturdy oak tree.
her gnarled hands and feet were the
colour of baked tree bark.
her eyes were the brightest stars
one sees in broad daylight.

after we had met and she found out that
i was from the states, she asked me if
i would kindly take a lettre back..
to mail for her.
o my o
of course, i would be most happy to!

she took my face in her hands,
(i had bent down to receive the blessing)
she knocked noggins with me,
nuzzling my forehead to hers..
and with a great smile, thanked me.

after our days in calcutta were over,
we returned to the missionary
to collect the lettre.
mother teresa and the nuns
greeted us with a huge bag of mail,
filled to the very tip top
with small hand typed lettres
addressed to persons in the americas
thanking them for their kind donations.

of course, there were no stamps
on any of them..that was my job!

as i was handed the bulging bundle,
mother t. asked again
if i would deliver "a lettre" for her..
her star eyes twinkling
in question mark ???

i said..
indeed! under one condition...

now, one really doesn't
put conditions on mother teresa..
so the nuns that surrounded us
were a bit stunned..
mother t. narrowed her bright eyes,
looked sideways at me and waited...

venturing into unknown territory,
i requested..
will you please twiggle-twaggle my head again?
the nuns laughed in relief as
mother teresa took my head
in her oak branch fingers once more..
she knocked our third eyes together..
shaktipat!
i've never been the same!

traveling back home
with the carry-on
of mother teresa's mail
was a great gift to me
and the many students
that awaited my return.

the thank you lettres
were shared amongst
the yoginis and yogis..
(remembre?)
each taking a dozen or so..
to be stamped and sent off
to south american countries
and every state in the union!

today is my birthday!
feel free to drop me a line!