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Ode to a Shelf

What Must Be Said...

By Kendall Defoe Published 2 years ago 1 min read
Ode to a Shelf
Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

It is better not to think

of what to think

about (for my own stout health,

I should forget the shelf).

*

Yet, there it is, all in white,

up past the wall with its lamp-bright

halo (made yellow by stealth

just above the shelf).

*

The body of it leaned, something barely

perceived, yet it is clearly

bent (all that spent wealth

on a dodgy shelf).

*

And next to the lamp, table and coat stand,

the smaller one, an also-ran

stacked and brown (unpacked it myself;

a final overburdened shelf).

They remain when others go...

*

Thank you for reading!

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About the Creator

Kendall Defoe

Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...

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Comments (7)

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  • Kip Guenther2 years ago

    I love this! Beautiful flow and very evocative!

  • One can always use another shelf. If not for shelves, where would we put our elves?

  • Heather Hubler2 years ago

    Books are steadfast forever friends :) Loved this one!

  • Your ode reminds me of William Carlos Williams' poem that focuses on a wheelbarrow. Something so seemingly ordinary yet unforgettable can easily make you think about deeper aspects of life.

  • Dana Stewart2 years ago

    Lovely message, books are our friends.

  • Mother Combs2 years ago

    great entry

  • Lana V Lynx2 years ago

    This is lovely. Much respect to book hoarders.

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