Letters I no longer send

I write them on the inside cover of whatever book I am reading. Short ones. One paragraph. Sometimes only one line. I close the book and the letter is sealed.

I do not send them. I never send them. The not-sending is the point. I used to think the writing was for the recipient and the not-sending was a failure of courage. Now I think the writing is for me and the not-sending is a kindness to us both.

If you ever borrow a book from me and find a small sentence in pencil on the inside cover, do not ask. It is not about you. Or it is, and we have already had the conversation, on the inside of a book, in pencil, in private.