left with me, an old worn out novel,
he gave me for a reading,
I returned back one of my own
by an oversight, and thus I carry
his fingerprints ingrained in the words,
that whirl their wings inside my head,
vying through my voice, feeding me
with sweetening and tart rudiments
of the narrative,
.
when I glance at the first leaf,
I discover his mother’s forename
penned carefully, it belonged to her
and I trace (whom I’ve never met)
her trail, in smears of her sweat
as she must have turned the pages,
levying her ownership on the print,
that being possessed by me now,
I feel a thief
.
A simple piece for dVerse Meeting the Bar. I had earlier added a further two lines, but for me, the end this way holds more meaning.
HA's Place 
HA, I liked the way you were able to put a character build into the object. Loved the use of ‘levying’. Good write.>KB
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You brought the book’s connection to owners and hands to life in a really cool way. Nicely penned.
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I like how you built a story, with object and characters, in this poem HA! We certainly wish to know more about the context behind the words. The closing line is excellent!
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I like a lot how you trace the previous owners of the book in that reading.. wonderful… and yes in a way it’s like being a thief
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Love how you describe your interaction with the book, the tracing of the name . . . the feelings it conjures in you.
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a book can be something so personally…. sometimes i write notes on the margins of those i own… love how this breathes connection
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Some of what you have so successfully conveyed with this excellent poem can be experienced in a used book store, just the odors within, that damp delicious smell of old paper, the liner notes left by others, the inscriptions left for posterity; but it is way cool that you found an incredible way to personalize the experience; fine job, Anmol.
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i think it is cool looking a tthe books of others…what they underlined…or notes in the margin are best…they tell a different story..how the book affected that reader……i love books so this was right up my alley….
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This is profoundly beautiful and poignant. Wonderful use of the senses, too.
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This is a very moving write. Seeing someone’s name in the book gives it a kind of intimacy….and I understand the feeling like a thief, possessing someone else’s book.
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I echo Victoria’s comment, beautiful, a work of art.
Anna :o]
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Very nice take on the prompt, loved it!
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Those imprints and names left by someone else is an interesting perspective ~ I can empathize with your sentiments of feeling like a thief ~ Good one HA ~
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What a delightful musing!
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I like where you ended. I feel that way too, when I get a used book and discover a dedication.
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HA – I like the effect here very much – the way you are saying that you steal another person’s effect – that’s very intimate. Nicely done.
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I love the flow of this, picking up a book that belonged to another and delving into them as much as the words, excellent anmol.
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This is wonderful…wish I had written it as I am reminded of so many of my mother’s books I still possess and cherish.
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perhaps more a peeping tom than a thief. I have felt the presence of others in my books, but never ever a poem that so keenly addresses those presences. Beautiful.
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Perhaps a thief, but more likely a link in a chain.
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Ah yes, the life story of a old book can conjuer up great images.Great write 🙂
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