Did you know that June 10 was National Ball Point Pen day? Who knew? It is a fun holiday designed to encourage us to honor this humble product that is found everywhere.
I’m so fortunate to have friends and family who still send handwritten letters. It’s such a treat at the end of the day to be sorting through the pile of mail with the AARP applications and utility bills, and see a card or letter with a familiar return address. It brings such a smile to my face, and I hope the sender knows how much it’s appreciated.
In this day and age, when everyone is so busy, it’s too easy to send a text or an email, but it doesn’t have that same personal touch. I’m guilty of not sending enough handwritten cards, letters, or thank-you notes. I make excuses for myself by saying that my handwriting is atrocious, and the recipient wouldn’t be able to read it anyway. But that’s really just an excuse. If it brightens my day so much, it stands to reason it will brighten someone else’s day to receive something from me. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; just an “I’m thinking of you” card or note would be so welcome. I love watching movies or shows that take place in the 1800s, when people sat down at their desk and took out their feathered quill pen and wrote a long letter, dipping into the ink every few words. It always looks so fancy, yet I wonder how they managed not to spill ink all over the page.
There are many things we take for granted in life, and one of them is a little tool called a pen. This next poem commemorates all of those moments in life that are made possible with this little instrument. On August 2, 1776, a very important document in United States history called The Declaration of Independence was signed by fifty-six congressional delegates using that fancy quill pen. The first person to sign this document, as President of the Second Continental Congress, was John Hancock. He used very large, bold script to sign his name, and since his signature was most visible, it became synonymous with signatures, and ever since people are often asked to “put their John Hancock” above the line on a document.
Think about all of those times in life when you put your “John Hancock” on the dotted line: a marriage license, birth certificate, mortgage papers when purchasing your first home, or buying that dream car. And then there are things that are not fun or exciting that require your signature, such as a check to pay for a speeding ticket, or an appliance repair. Someone else may put their “John Hancock” on an important document in your life, such as a diploma or certificate you worked hard to earn. We take this little tool for granted, and it seems we’re always in search of one, yet we toss it aside when we’re done with it, usually after chewing on the cap. Perhaps, given the important role it has in our lives, we should pay this little tool a bit more respect.
The Power of the Pen
In modern times we’ve lost the art
Of picking up a pen,
And sending a handwritten note
To a loved one or a friend.
Think of the smile across their face
When they fetch their daily mail.
It is sure to brighten up their day,
Almost without fail.
Sending a birthday card
Or a note to say, “Hello,”
Can make someone’s day better
in ways we’ll never know.
The pen can also be a tool
To help commemorate
The signing of a mortgage,
Or other things we celebrate.
Imagine signing adoption papers,
Or birth certificate.
Signing new life into your world
Is something you won’t forget.
A pen can make a new bride smile
As she signs her new last name;
Or a happily divorced woman
As her maiden name she reclaims.
The pen is there throughout our lives
In moments such as these,
Like a diary kept through the years
To capture memories.
The signature on a diploma
Or long-awaited MBA
A love letter from long ago
From the one who got away
An author writing his first book
Analyzing every word
Activists signing a petition
To get their voices heard
A poet rearranging words
To make the perfect rhyme
A doctor signing an order
To buy someone more time . . .
But the pen can also deliver news
With the coldness of a knife.
A sharply written letter
Can cut right through your life.
A “Dear John” letter that she left
To signify the end;
He reads and re-reads every word,
Trying to comprehend.
Divorce papers out of the blue—
On the last page a signature—
Can leave one reeling in disbelief
If they do not concur.
A suicide note left on the bed
For the family to find;
A final note to say goodbye
To the ones they left behind . . .
So many moments throughout our lives
Immortalized in ink.
This little tool impacts our lives
In more ways than we think.
The pen can devastate—
But it also can reward.
It seems to me, it just may be . . .
The pen is mightier than the sword!
-K.A. Bloch-
