Paperback
She wished she’d never leant me out.
Never shared. Some people are so
careless. Disrespectful of printed text.
Paperback. To them I’m disposable.
Came home with my spine broken
in four or five separate places. Pulpy.
Split. Falling open to specific passages.
Usually sexual. Explicit. The juicy bits.
Pages turned down by nicotine fingers,
thumb-prints sweated indelible. Cover
bent over with a deep crease scored
and a coffee ring branding my rear.
Blurb obscured. Story forever flagged
in narrative stains, wrinkled bathtub
watermarks. Permanent smudgy edits.
She wished she’d never loaned me out.
And because it’s a poem personifying a book, I couldn’t resist including this…!
People who abuse lent books are the lowest of the low! I hope you gave them a strong telling off after this.
I certainly would Joe – it’s just not on is it!
Yes–there should be civil penalties for this.
Indeed. It’s very, very wrong!
I agree, Holly, and this is sooo good! I love the perspective and it’s so true!
Poor abused book…
i. am. guilty. as. charged.
and therefore I never borrow the books of others. i would hate to upset them with my nasty. shameful. habits.
Well, what you do with your own books is your own business – and I don’t mind borrowing “well-loved” books from others. But mine… I’m a strictly “handle with care” girl.
Very true. I won’t lend out any book I want to keep
Yes, I don’t mind what people do with them if I don’t want them back.
I love it , and : Came home with my spine broken in four or five separate places. Pulpy.Split. Falling open to specific passages.Usually sexual. Explicit. The juicy bits. : That’s me!!
Oo-er Missus!
I avoid all that by giving away books …my dad always said pass knowledge on!! xxx I do love the way you have made this book human!! xxxx
I like personifying objects – I was reminded about doing this at a workshop I went to last Saturday, but it’s something I’m never too far away from. Although it makes me look daft as I often talk to inanimate things! Like the kettle!
I agree with you about passing books on Willow – it’s a lovely thing to do.
I tend to spend my life personifying objects often it is easier than personifying myself
I lo e this poem! So well written, as usual!
I am mean and never lend my books out. I just wont!
Also,people can “forget”they have borrowed rhem!
I only lend to trusted souls… Now, anyone reading this who I’ve not foisted a book on will think I’m being mean! lol. Of course, thinking about it – with the advent of e-readers, we won’t be lending any books at all – that’s a sad thing I think. I love sharing a book I’ve enjoyed with a friend.
Having learned the hard way, I now lend out my books (and DVD’s) to very few. It is lovely to share a book you have enjoyed but as bad as the stains, creases and marks can be, sometimes they never come back…
Merci beaucoup! You really put it all together and it was a great combination.
Love, love, love The Beatles and that song!
The Book That Never Came Back! Now there’s an idea… Glad you enjoyed my Beatles moment too Lea. It was too good an opportunity to miss.
Second hand books must feel abandoned – i always feel a bit weird readiing inscriptions like Happy Birthday Dad! – Jenny – espeically if it is a Bunty album or something. Loved it
What I want to know is what you were doing looking at a Bunty album? Actually, maybe I don’t!
There were no Jackie albums!
Hmmmm….