“My Alma mater was books, a good library… I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” – Malcolm X
“We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.” – B. F. Skinner
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” – Dr. Seuss
Damned!
Damned!
Again and again
You introduce me
To another author
I haven’t read before
Before now
Before this discovery
Something in a title
Or description
Catches my eye
Inflames my curiosity
And the world
Of another author
Is opened to me
Perhaps this one
Will hook me
And more of
Their work
Lines my
Overcrowded shelves
Can’t you hear them groan
DEMANDING
To be read?
Piled so high they
LEAN over edges
Hunger for more
Les livres
Well loved stories
Searching for what else
The author has written
Words, stories, poems
I never could keep
This addiction secret
Hooked so young
A passion often key
In forming new friendships
Yes, that is me
I am damned
Damned to a life
Of books
Merci beaucoup!
*
Bisous
Léa
poetry, photos and musings oh my! 
Wonderful Lea! This gave me a smile because I relate to it so much! I particularly like the second quote. A love of reading needs to come first.
Love xxx
Merci beaucoup Christine! You know how I feel about it. What’s not to love about Dr. Seuss? 😉 Love xxx
He is very much alive in this house! 😊 xxx
Hmm, why doesn’t that surprise me? 😉 xxx
😊 xx
🙂 xx
Damned blessed, I’d say!
Without a doubt. I recently wrote a chapter about learning to read. The teenage sisters that taught me, thought it was fun. They will never know they just may have saved my life.
oh i love books and they took me on so many journeys already… would love to have more time to read… i have a new book on my table waiting to be started…
Just one waiting? I cannot fathom that.
Ha! So real! You could have written this to MarinaSofia at findingtimetowrite 🙂
Thank you Polly! It is my life, c’est la vie! As for MarinaSofia, I am not familiar with her? 🙂
Marina is, like you, someone I’ve followed for years, she critiques books on findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com, intros dVerse poets on occasion and writes poetry—do visit her blog—you’ll see exactly what I mean 🙂
I shall check her out. Merci beaucoup! 🙂
Lea I would not have it any other way. Love this poem and I am damned along with you as is my daughter. At the moment I cannot find something to catch my imagination I hate it when I am in-between books Im ratty lol.
Kath, you have given your daughter a most precious gift and a happy “addiction” to last a lifetime that she can pass on. There are not only stacks of books I have read there are also stacks of books that keep going psst… in my ear as they wait their turn. There is a bedside stack, a stack beside the sofa… I think you get the picture. However, I can remember back to the days when finding anything to read was an extreme challenge. I am grateful those days are behind me. I am also grateful to have my writing to purge the scars from those days. Happy Reading!
Have you read THE BOOK THIEF?
No I have not read it but I have been wanting too Lea
The word that comes to mind first is, WOW! I couldn’t put it down but also didn’t want it to end. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the film which I haven’t seen. In my mind, the books are better anyway Kath
It keeps popping up at me in book stores etc I need something good so thanks for the recommendation Lea.
It is sad though!