Wednesday 12 April 2017

POETS UNITED - BOOKS

“The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.” - Abraham Lincoln

This week, the midweek motif of Poets United is “books”. I thought that for a bibliophile like me, this poem would be an easy one to write, but perhaps when we are faced with stating the obvious, therein we flounder and find difficulty…

Books

When times were tough,
I delved into your pages and found strength;
When I was sad,
I looked inside and found mirth;
When feeling haughty, proud –
I read and became humble.

In days of desperation,
I searched for hope therein;
In times of mindless frivolity,
I was sobered by your wise words;
In hours of need,
I found within what I sought.

When friendless, lonely,
I found in books the most loyal companion;
When bored and flat,
In books I found the spark of the divine;
When feeling small and insignificant,
I discovered in books my self-respect.

In all my turns of fortune,
I found stability and calm inside;
In every step I took, in every journey started,
I found a true and steady compass there;
In all my life’s every situation,
Each question answered, each problem solved
In books all truth, all hope and all enjoyment…

10 comments:

  1. Your love of books is evident in this tribute to them, Nicholas. I especially like,'In every step I took, in every journey started,
    I found a true and steady compass there;'. \

    Wishing you a blessed Easter,
    Poppy

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  2. they are truly our 'never-failing friends'...very nicely put...

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  3. Your words resonate with me big time. I've turned to books for escape, information, solace, inspiration and assurance, and found them to be a trusty companion!

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  4. Nicholas, I echo every word. That is what books have been to me, ever since I was five. I loved this poem. One of my favourites of yours.

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  5. You may have struggled with the "obvious" but you came up with one beautiful poem. It resonated in my heart. Books contain so much wisdom, knowledge, comfort...well everything you wrote.

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  6. Nicholas, it is always so nice to visit your poetry and find your well-thought-out words. I always turned to books when times were tough too. I used to read several books a week in those times. Good escape and relief. I found wisdom and hope and a way to move forward. I don't think we can underestimate the power of a book, and I know from your words that you feel the same way.

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  7. So true. ...a very beautiful poem!

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  8. It may be stating the obvious, yet it gave me joy to read, as you state it for me too – and state it well.

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  9. It seems that books have fulfilled all of your needs.

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  10. I LOVE THIS POEM. I like the direct address very much. I'm going to think about what I would say to mine!

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