The Corner Bookstore Poem by Jim Yerman

They say the corner bookstore as an institution is a dying breed
For people now use the internet or E-books when they read.

I was one of those people...as I walked by I would frown
And wonder how a corner bookstore could make it in this town.

Or any town for that matter, because it seemed very clear to me
That old books and the stores that sell them would be lost to technology.

But then something wonderful happened, I started working there
And I realized my initial pessimism was perhaps a tad unfair.

I’ve seen people come in and ask, “Do you mind if I just look
It’s so wonderful to see a store that is still selling books.”

Others close their eyes and take a deep breath the moment they walk in the door.
They open their eyes, smile, and say, “I just love the smell of your store.”

Yes, there are still those people out there, though there numbers are a-dwindle
Who prefer to turn the pages of a book instead of tapping on their Kindle.

Who still find it exciting, wondrous and grand
To be flipping pages of a book they hold lovingly in their hands.

Who still take the time to enjoy the older books, and, no matter how they’re frayed
Still marvel at the care and fidelity with which they all were made.

Who enjoy coming to a bookstore when all is said and done
To browse, to remember, to socialize and to have a little fun.

So although the corner bookstore is not the way most people now read
I do not anymore believe it is a dying breed.

I can see the bookstore has a lot to offer and despite technology’s fast growth
I now believe, in this fast paced world, there is plenty of room for both.