Dear Sun Star: Wendell Washington

Dear Sun Star,

I'm writing this letter as teardrops fall from my hazel eyes and splash upon the page.

Every day is a hassle. I awaken to my jarring alarm; I feel excruciating pain echo throughout my aching bones as I prepare for the long, insufferable morn and afternoon and evening and night ahead. Negative thoughts like plumes of smoke from a steam engine circle my body, clouding my once-joyous being. I obtain pitiable prizes for my endurance: deep bags under my eyes and a shattered, wretched heart.

At the beginning of this semester, my best friend, the only one who understood me and actually knew how to love me, departed the territory of Alaska bound for Colorado. He will never be back, and I may never know his touching embrace and roaring laugh and calming demeanor again, although I will yearn for him until the end of days.

What can I do to get out of this pitfall? The mountain of work befelling me is certainly not an aid to my soul. Life is a challenging arch of pain; it feels.

Wendell Washington

October 5, 1926

Dear Mr. Washington,

We are saddened to hear of your dear friend’s departure and hope you are able to heal the wound he has left behind. While we cannot return your lost comrade to you, we may be of assistance in ways to dull the ache in your heart.

As you work to free yourself from the shackles of the homework dungeon, we urge you to enjoy the freshly fallen snow that has fallen onto our earth and find new comforts to soothe your crying soul. Perhaps joining new institutions, for which you may use to make new acquaintances and mingle with new faces, might be worth your time.

Or, perhaps you might indulge in the idea of pen pals and seek out contact with your lost friend. Engage in the art of penmanship and the beauty of exchanging thoughtful, handwritten letters. We also believe you might find some solace in sharing your wonderful prose and words with the world in the form of poetry. We would be most delighted if you did.

We at The Sun Star hope this advice will find you most useful and hope that you will soon find a way to enjoy life once more.

The Sun Star