read me like an old love letter

let the worn page rest like silk in your hands
 
close your eyes and recite each line from memory
let each whispered word become a cherished recollection
 
brush your fingers along the carefully crafted contents
and etch your response in invisible ink
 
in the lines above 
or below
or beside
the original message
 
press the page to your chest
let your lungs fill with breath
 
exhale when you think you’ve read enough
and read it again (and again)
 
like you did the last time,
when it was a tender memory of the first time in your hands