Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Book Collector

 Book Collector

He is a collector,

and he said some people

hold their books too closely,

protecting them from the 

world at large

and the damage it inflicts.

He said

he wanted us to take them

from their shelf-homes,

to touch and turn their pages,

to read, admire,

and be inspired.

I think, contrarily,

that it is the books themselves 

who, after long and lonely seclusion,

standing rigidly

back to back 

appreciate

a walk in the world,

filling their lungs with

fresh air,

filling minds with 

fresh thoughts, warming 

their pages in the sunshine,

opening their windows

and flinging wide doors

to greet the reverential reader,

to clap him enthusiastically

on his back

and welcome him, at long last,

home.

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