The squeak of the porch door
The scuffling of my feet on the sidewalk
The feel of the sunshine on my skin
On the ideal cloudless day.

The exuberant beating of my heart
The rush of adrenaline through my veins
The silly grin like that of a child
I knew the letter would arrive today.

The feeling of anticipation
The sound of the mailbox opening
The thrill I had
When I saw a letter lying there.

The flip-flop of my stomach
The dizziness in my head
The curiosity was killing me
Would my soldier be coming home?

The jump in the air
The twirl of my skirt
The envelope clenched so tight
This letter was mine.

The tear of the envelope
The page in my hand
The tinglies in my toes
Please be coming home

The feel of the crease
The unfamiliar look of the handwriting
The short couple sentences
No x’s and o’s.

The way my heart sunk
The tears that broke loose
The fall to the ground
I knew I would never be the same.

The scratchy concrete on my face
The sorrow I felt
The hope that maybe it was all a nightmare
That my soldier had gone away.