L. J. Carber Poet Free verse

The Lonely Book

I took a book out of the library
where it must have stood amidst
its brethren for 25 years, unused,
unborrowed-- I know this because
its pages were crisp, never bent
by a greedy reader, and not yellow
from time's effect, a drug that
ages books as it does readers....

Someday I guess all books, both
the virgins and the overly used,
even abused, will be no more: all
replaced by sterile zeros & ones,
and my future self will never again
have the soft pleasure of turning
endless pages, feeling tangible
the words of some distant mind.

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Darlene De Beaulieu October 22, 2017 at 8:50 PM Oh.. L. J. Carber, not to be able to touch a book ,is unheard of. I enjoy to touch the pages of the book. turning pages after pages,I enjoy to do. Taking my time to enjoy what I read. Have a nice evening my friend. Darlene De Beaulieu October 25, 2017 at 3:23 PM Yes i am a book lover and always will be. Have a nice day my friend. L. J. Carber October 23, 2017 at 9:35 AM Thank you Darlene-- I'm surprised at the response the poem is eliciting; there must still be a few book lovers left after all!

Robert Lindley October 16, 2017 at 7:23 PM I LOVE THIS INSIGHTFUL POEM. I am a book collector, hardback first editions. I live the contents, look , feel and smell of the books written in the 1800's. Some books, I feel connected to the first moment I touch them.... A fav my friend. L. J. Carber October 17, 2017 at 9:48 AM Thank you, Robert. It's strange the comfort a book lover gets just from having books around. Perhaps because they are symbolic of our unique human ability to transcend.

Maureen McGreavy Pigeon Tart October 14, 2017 at 11:03 PM Wonderful :) fave xomo L. J. Carber October 15, 2017 at 11:25 AM Thank you Maureen!

Sunlite Wanter October 14, 2017 at 6:11 PM So glad you expressed this. I am torn because I feel as you do about the feel of a book, but someone gave me a Kindle for Christmas 3-4 years ago and I have loved that, too. L. J. Carber October 15, 2017 at 11:28 AM Thanks, Sunlite-- I too am ambivalent about cybernetic progress--I can see its 'perils', but I sure wish I had had word-processing in college: would have made things much easier. Well, everything in life is a trade-off.