Context
A few months ago, my niece and I were talking about how we felt creatively blocked. The inspiration was sort of there, but the will to create art was blocked. We couldn’t get anything out. We decided to create a group on Discord (OMG I KNOW! I’m so tech savvy) and set up a loose timeline with prompts that would hopefully help us do some creating.
The first topic was love letters. We had a couple of weeks to work on our art and then we would share it with each other. I had the first three lines figured out, but the rest wouldn’t come. I was thinking I would write it about reading or writing or something.
Then it hit me. I could write it about my husband Jason. He’s kind of amazing, but I don’t typically write about people (especially not romantic, sappy stuff, which I knew it would turn out to be). My brain liked this idea and started running with it.
When I write poetry, I generally do it by hand. I don’t know why it flows better that way, but it does. It started out as poetry and then started turning into an actual letter to him.
I almost gave up. I couldn’t make the poetry come out.
Then, I just decided to write the letter and make it into poetry later. This is what I ended up with. Hope you enjoy it!
Love Letter
for Jason
I never meant to fall in love,
but the shape of your letters
embraced me. The words
you create, though few,
helped untwist the spell
I was under. They teased
at the knots that kept me
in smallness,
in insignificance.
I was your angel (and sometimes
your angle— acute, of course).
I have seen your struggle
to arrange the letters
into precise words,
and then
to put those words
into the perfect order
that fit what you mean.
Words have always been hard
for you, but you try,
and try, and try,
and you don’t give up,
even when you feel
you will never get it right.
I know it would be easier
for you to build me something
that shows me how much
you love me.
What I’ve never told you
is that the way
you persevere
has built me a safe world.
Your words remind me
that I am divine
that I am worthy
that I am significant
and loved,
so very loved.
Elizabeth Francois 2026
Quietly Askew 