Books, Books, Books

/ January 25, 2022

TBR Pile Writing Challenge – Pixaby image

~

everywhere I look

books in every nook

they haunt me

they taunt me

sneering all the way

piles growing day by day

you’ll never catch up

it’s time to give up

books are taking over the house

are you lazy or just a louse

embarassment grows inside me

the plethera of books daunts me

one book shines within the flurry

penetrating my nervous worry

I pick up this favorite fable

upsetting the leaning table

my heartbeat begins to slow

into the realm of books I go

~

Diana from Myths of the Mirror created a January writing challenge to celebrate our love for books and the dilemma of never-ending piles of TBR (to be read) books, especially with the rise of ebooks. Unlike most book lovers, I have a small TBR pile and no Kindle overflowing with ebooks. Simplicity has won out in my life with most of my books given away to libraries and bookstores. I kept a few favorites and have a small pile to read from the library. Occasionally, I miss my bookshelf filled with treasured books, but moving and simplicity guide my way. Thankfully, our local library is a wonderful space to visit, explore, and read, with more books than I will ever finish.

If you’d like to read more entries for Diana’s challenge, visit her post The Writing Challenge – TBR Pile.

Long live books and the love of reading.

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76 thoughts on “Books, Books, Books”

  2. Thanks for the awesome poem, Brad. I’m so glad you played along. To be honest, my paper-book-filled shelves have been winnowed down too, to my treasured 100 or so reads. Kindle is the black hole! Lol. And I love your tribute to libraries. They are Treasures! Happy Reading!

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  4. What a fun poem and so ironic as I was just adding new display shelves in my office while redecorating and going through my books 📚 I am not a Kindle or ebook person..I love holding a book and just can’t get into the technology thing. I much prefer bookstores and libraries, but for now with a decent little pile of new books awaiting my jumping in, I’m staying away lol. Like you though, I’ve donated and given away most of my collection.

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  13. Brad, a terrific poem and I’m glad you find serenity in the end as you enter the realm of books! They are a precious gift. It’s great your local library is an oasis of books and well done for managing to whittle down your shelves of books. I have cleared two bookcases of books in twenty years … before deciding the rest just have to stay … for now! Although I have most of these books my Kindle is bulging with unread books and I can relate to:

    ’embarassment grows inside me

    the plethera of books daunts me’

    I better take a break and get reading … ahhhh … bliss!😀

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  14. Great poem Brad!
    When I started reading your poem I thought that you were starting to pack and was overwhelmed with the amounts of book you own.
    Then, I thought you were talking about having many books to finish (or to start), and it is in my case.
    Then I found out it was written in response to a prompt. Like you, I have given away most of my books for the sake of simplicity, but I dream of having more space to have a library, a room only with books.
    Great job with the poem!
    Blessings to you! ♥♥

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  16. Great poem Brad and I’m glad you supported Diana’s challenge. My TBR is pure kindle…..sold and gave away most of my books three years ago for our move to LA (I did keep some of the books from the 30’s I received from my grandfather…mostly Jerry Todd series….I couldn’t put them down as a pre-teen:)

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  19. Loved this Brad, I haven’t reached the point where I want to clear out my bookshelves as yet, but I feel you with the choice to clear your shelves out and declutter. Libraries rock too!
    Awesome , it is so playful! made me smile. Thank you 🌼

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  20. Oh I love this poem!! Also, Diana’s challenges are amazing! I can really relate to your poem. I know I’m not lazy; my appetite to read is voracious, but…… just such an amount of reading already planned. 😆 I am overwhelmed—there’s more that I want to read than I am going to be able to do in this lifetime! I just love how you are writing more poems 💗

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  22. Brilliant, Brad ~ love the line “they haunt me, they taunt me…” And as it was, I typed your name as Bard and thought how fitting it was 🙂 Wishing you a great day my friend, and hope all is well within the chill of winter! Cheers to the power of words!

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