Keeping The Faith
Or At Least The Books
In My Old Age
Most of my toad life
I have slept alone. Sometimes
the bed was king sized,
big enough for two.
Before coming here, I moved
to my living room
and slept propped up on
my couch because that's where my
late night living was.
What happened - Francie
came back from expedition
and shoveled me into
her basement, complete
with a stripped down version of
my remnant household...
barely any sign
of my dead wife or mother
left me any more.
(I had moved into
my mother's house after she
died of her old age.)
We bought me a bed -
a hospital type of bed -
an adjusting wide
single for big guys
like me and sold off or scrapped
all the rest - except
the books - you must keep
the books on threat of losing
your shriven old soul.
August 1, 2016 3:37 AM
Honesty note: This image is not my bookshelving but is a fair estimate of the number of books I still have. I divested of most of the paperback novels as well as most of my household furniture to move to Francesca's basement.
Nice write! Thanks for the link, Chris...
ReplyDeleteEven in a tent, i'd have a bookcase. And a stack of books beside it, waiting for space...yes, you keep the books. They aren't just to read, the older ones are memory sinks, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I keep my hand in and as long as the words flow more or less like water, I will continue to do so. I have used my form for so long that I rarely struggle even a little. I like it best because it forces my words and phrasing into simple strings.
ReplyDeleteChristo, this is entirely UNFAIR!!!! You are a spoiled and pampered little stinker and you know it!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThis was written by Francie who fails to see her kindness in the way I have written starkly of what happened. I fail to see exactly what offends her in it.
Delete