A Book Poem by Dave Hayati

A fireplace and rocking chair, a quilt to keep us warm
The old log house with its slatted roof, protects us from the storm
Settled in we start our book, each page a blessing found
Turning over one by one, new sites, new friends, new sound

Some chapters seem to fly right by, so fast their almost missed
A grade in school, vacations planned, a love we may have kissed
Pages that we won’t forget, although they slipped right by
The memories seem to be reborn, sometimes the mind is sly

Stories that are intermixed, throughout life’s changing flavor
These pages are not chapters short, each word we read, we savor
Son’s and Daughters, spouse and friends, they show up every turn
Without them chapters have no plot or lesson that is learned

The stories start to overlap, begin mixed up with ending
Our plot begins to complicate, put down, we must keep reading
A simple line which started out, gets deep and more intriguing
Turning pages one by one, our interest keeps expanding

Characters new may come to life, the pride we will express
These brand new entrants to our book, grow up, we watch time pass
They write new books when left the nest, we hope to be a part
A chapter, two, will suit the hope, in several warms the heart

When finished with our book of life, we’ll set it down to rest
We hope the ending does us suit, we pray we’ve done our best
We hope to be a part of others, books we helped to start
Our presence on the bookshelf tall, not left piled on a cart

There are a few who pick another, start with chapters fresh
Though lucky to begin again, start empty none the less
A book becomes a part of time, sad when you have to stop
The hardest part about a book, is starting from the top

To start again is hard to do, when you’ve just read the best
But when you do its not so tough, you role with each new test
This new book has its starting point, though different from the last
All books will have a special place, combine with chapters past

Replace the old it will not do, although its merits there
With it new sites and some new sound’s, new friends to show they care
Chapters new may bring us hope, new challenges and fear
This new book can’t replace the old, It just a different tier

We never really close a book, it’s always on the shelf
Its there to help us through the day, it calms our inner self
It’s always hard to read two books, but this is an exception
These chapters will enhance each other, soothing any tension

A books a precious memory of, a time, a love, a place
It never really says the end, our hearts have saved it space
Every time the chapters read, by memory or by word
The book will glow from front to back, just knowing its been heard