Do Books Love Me?
I could hardly wait
in the summer for the bookmobile
to stop on my street.
I loved listening to stories being told.
Then once, on Christmas, I
got some books. I wasn’t sure why
all the words looped around my breath.
Jumbles of traffic jams
flipping forward and backward
as if diving into oceans of alphabet soup.
Letters jumping rope all over the pages.
At times I couldn’t even
write the words without them tangling
like balls of yarn.
One sentence, an hour-long highway
of loops and zagging words.
OH, the stories I could write and tell,
but I had wondered if books love me.
Until, at thirty-three, I read some poems.
At first they seemed to laugh out nonsense letters
till my breath sounded them out into perfect rhymes.
Rhyme skipped rope into stories
and without a doubt, I finally knew,
books love me too.
I could hardly wait
in the summer for the bookmobile
to stop on my street.
I loved listening to stories being told.
Then once, on Christmas, I
got some books. I wasn’t sure why
all the words looped around my breath.
Jumbles of traffic jams
flipping forward and backward
as if diving into oceans of alphabet soup.
Letters jumping rope all over the pages.
At times I couldn’t even
write the words without them tangling
like balls of yarn.
One sentence, an hour-long highway
of loops and zagging words.
OH, the stories I could write and tell,
but I had wondered if books love me.
Until, at thirty-three, I read some poems.
At first they seemed to laugh out nonsense letters
till my breath sounded them out into perfect rhymes.
Rhyme skipped rope into stories
and without a doubt, I finally knew,
books love me too.
© 2015 Jessica Bigi. All rights reserved.
Marcus Ewert has challenged us to write love poems this month– about relationships that seem unrequited, but which end up being requited after all. Click HERE for more details.
Send your poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, October 30th, and one lucky participant will win an autographed copy of his fabulous new picture book:
Send your poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, October 30th, and one lucky participant will win an autographed copy of his fabulous new picture book:
"Rhyme skipped rope into stories" what a wonderful line, Jessica! I'm happy you've found that books love you, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you it is true is you start with the simplest rhymes I first started reading Robert Frost poems then one of my roll models as a writer Patricia pllacco and found real strength and the wonder of great story telling and writing in reading African stories learning to strengthen my gift of poetry from reading Larua and Joyce's poems but it all started with simple rhyme's Jumping rope into wonder stories and my great love of reading witch love sharing book with other because the are such a beautiful gift to me
DeleteThe "Jumbles of traffic jams" section feels active and breathless, conveying the narrator's experience vividly. Nicely done, Jessica!
ReplyDeletethank you
DeleteSo many creative images here, Jessica. I love that ending when "At first they seemed to laugh out nonsense letters/till my breath sounded them out into perfect rhymes."
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda
DeleteNicely done, Jessica! I agree with the other comments here–you have a wonderful way with finding fresh imagery. One of my favorites is "diving into oceans of alphabet soup."
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle and every one else for your encouraging feedback I feel honored Thank you
DeleteI like "Letters jumping rope all over the pages." Very nice poem. Thanks for sharing it here.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully breathless poem, I loved the continuous flow and tangle of words tumbling out! Thanks!
ReplyDelete