Twenty-One Envelopes

Inside the box were twenty cards
To send to twenty friends
Or any folk to whom your wish
For festive joy extends.

But when I filled them out and they
Were signed and stamped and sealed,
I realized that the box had
One more envelope to yield.

It wasn’t a surprise, for it’s
Been just that way for years,
Though recently some companies
Have started switching gears.

The extra envelope is there
In case you make a goof
When writing an address;
Just start again and there’s no proof.

I guess the manufacturers
Thought little of our skill
To copy an address, but I
Their image won’t fulfill.

And so I have a drawer that’s full
Of envelopes galore.
I’m set for life if extras
Aren’t added anymore.