"Cities, Towns & Countryside"
5th Annual Preservation Week 2003 Photo-Essay Competition
Second Place: Laura Beth Wise
9th Grade, Estill County High School
Irvine, Kentucky
TITLE: "Remember When"
My essay is about a small part of our history,
In the small city of Ravenna, as you can see,
Our local post office, we have been told,
Due to lack of financial profits, will soon be closed.
In it are memories, echoing from another time,
When ice-cream was a nickel, and bread a dime.
They shout to us from inside its walls,
Pleading with us not to close its halls.
Memories fading, rapidly slipping away,
Buried by the sands of time more each day.
Its significance forgotten by those of new birth,
Only as senior few know how much it is really worth.
They can tell us tales of a life unknown,
If we'll take time to listen, and forget the money we own.
Stories embroidered with experiences from old reality,
Told with such enthusiasm, it reminds you and me:
It does the heart and soul some good, every now and then,
To take a look upon the past, and just remember when.
When our industry was strictly through railroad traffic,
And the first idea of a post office stuck strong and quick.
When railroad shops were first built around Ravenna's main strip,
In 1915 with a Post Office and Post Mistress it was equipped.
When Post Mistress and Mail man, were there strictly to serve, S
And from them until now, that philosophy has not swerved.
The identity of Ravenna is the P.O. you are wanting to close,
You say it's not, but only those who live here really know.
We've held town meetings, and heard you tell your side.
Now I think it's time, you listen to a secret I will confide
You want to merge it with Irvine, which already has long lines,
Will that one be the next to close, when it's time to pay your fines?
And when Irvine merges with Richmond, which is kind of faraway,
Will that one be the next to go, when breaking even looks kind of gray?
And when Richmond goes to Lexington, we will all look back and say,
Whatever happened to good old Ravenna, way back in the day?
You tell us that you're billions of dollars in debt,
But you're only trying to help us receive the better bet.
You say you're going to offer services that we already receive
And you expect us to watch our post office diminish, while your deficit recedes
The Constitution states no post office will be closed due to lack of profit alone,
So deficit must not be a reason, but no others have been made known.
You say it gives us better efficiency and better use of time,
You've seen the distance and the lines, so are you really just saving dimes?
You say you want to add more electronification, which does sound like a plus,
Why not add it at Ravenna? And we would not have this fuss.
Offer better service, you get more customers, you know how the game is played,
So do we, and that is why the Ravenna Post Office has stayed,
Long enough to last through many years of trends,
Long enough to have some many 'Remember Whens.'
Remember when.
When letters were written carefully by hand,
Taking weeks to deliver and even more to plan.
When writers and recipients didn't know whether they'd live another day,
So letters were held dearly, not carelessly thrown away.
When barefoot children romped in forest, and on railroad tracks,
Waiting on mail from an older sibling, promising they'd soon be back.
When little girls and boys awaited anxiously for Santa Claus,
Not knowing that their few toys came in the monthly mail hauls.
When Uncle Jim invited you for dumplings and chicken,
And it was time for you to pay from last fall's crop pickin,
When Cousin Anna sent a letter that spoke of her great new joy,
And a black and white photo of her new baby boy.
When mothers gathered shoulder to shoulder,
Waiting to receive letters from young sons, now American soldiers.
Their letters would be cherished, read over and over again
It was all they could hold, until the war would end.
When through those doors went many invitations,
To special events like birthday parties, weddings and graduations.
When through those doors many hugs and kisses were sent,
Each letter savored because of how much they meant.
Our seniors know it is not the financial value that should be seen,
But the joy, tears, challenges, and memories each letter used to bring.
The sacrifices made, teamwork, thought and labor spent,
By the creators of the office, our parents of our parents.
Every letter that passed through our post office doors,
Leaves a mark in the recipient forevermore,
Thus leaving a scar in the fabric of time,
That can't be erased by followers on life's continuing climb.
With new technology it is easy for the importance of the Post Office to become lost,
But you can still send things at a fraction of the cost.
E-mail is good, and many folks say much better,
But show me one old woman who would trade that for a handwritten letter.
I hope my poetic essay captures your attention,
I am sure there are many things I've neglected to mention.
Remember my essay, I hope you shall!
Take note it arrived to you from Ravenna through the US Mail.
This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC. |
