Poems From Books Novels & Stories

I force my feet to move towards the desk, where in the drawer I keep the box with all the notes. I pull it out and let all the notes fall to yhe ground next to me, as I try to gather them to form the complete poem. She smelled of books and stories Of all the worlds she'd lived within As though the ink had left the pages To find a new home in her skin She didn't quite belong here Lived a life within her head Like she'd slipped out from the covers Of a paperback instead And I'd see it in her eyes That they were deeper than a well

“I think that is time I leave you. I will see you later, Raina.” I looked around the room that I was now locked in. I looked through every draw, every cabinet, and through a small closet, only stumbling across a small book of poetry. I could only assume that it had been left there by the previous occupant of the room. I had always enjoyed poetry. I sat down on the bed and began reading the book. The poetry was eloquently written and quite meaningful. I could feel the emotions of the writer dripping out of every line. One particular line stood out to me as I read:

She walked in with the reverence of someone entering a place that mattered to her and immediately disappeared into the graphic novel section without another word. I wandered toward the poetry shelves, drawn to them without quite deciding to be, and ran my fingers along the spines until one caught my eye. A slim volume with a navy cover and gold lettering. I pulled it out and opened it to a random page. I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)... I smiled. E.E. Cummings. I had read this before, years ago, and forgotten how much I liked it. "What are you reading?"

A young girl, not quite tall enough to reach the sorting tray, was assisting in piling up the warm pages. "They sound like poetry," Lia whispered. "But with directions." She wasn't addressing anyone specifically, but the man folding pamphlets at the next table inclined his head. "That's the idea," he said. "Poetry endures. So does purpose." Outside, a cart of snacks rolled past—kutsinta, banana cue, rice cakes in banana leaves. The vendor paused, glancing in through the window. “You’re printing the memory books?” he asked. “Yes,” Lia said. “Want one?”

But here, under the soft hum of old lights and surrounded by paper and ink, it eased. She moved toward the back room, flipping the CLOSED sign even though the door was unlocked. Technically, they didn’t open until ten. Technically, she didn’t care. Back among the shelves, she let her fingertips drift over cracked spines and dog - eared corners. Each book whispered differently. Some loud, some quiet. Some didn’t whisper at all. But one — near the middle, in the poetry section no one ever touched — felt warm. Warmer than it should’ve.

I had never really observed them when I was here before. Most of the titles were academic—thick volumes on economics, finance, business strategy. But there were also novels tucked in between. Literary fiction, some thrillers, a few poetry collections. "Didn't know you read poetry," I called out. "Everyone needs a little beauty in their life," he called back. I smiled and continued browsing. Then I noticed something odd. There was a gap in the middle shelf, like several books had been removed. "Adam?" I walked toward the bedroom.

ADRIAN The more I flipped through the pages, the more I was unable to control the bulge in my pants. I would've never believed that Lena would write something like this. But am I really surprised? Not at all. She left it after class, I wanted to return it to her, but there was just a way the book looked and curiosity filled me, only to find out that she's been writing erotic poems. I couldn't stop myself and kept flipping through the pages, but I froze in my set upon coming across a poem with my name on it. The poem contained not only her fantasies but what she really thought of me.

I can’t explain it, but I don’t have to, either, if I don’t bring it up, and I’m not one to ever start conversations. I sniff the paperback—old, musty paper, glue, and Justus—and set it on the pallet. The next book in the pile, Peter Kropotkin’s The Conquest of Bread, has a picture of two men chopping down a tree on the cover. It smells the same. All the books are dog-eared paperbacks with yellowed pages—Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, Critique of Practical Reason by Immanuel Kant, several each by Ursula K. Le Guin and N. K. Jemison, and a massive hardback of Plato’s collected works. The Plato is the only one that looks like it hasn’t been read a hundre

The expression on Don's face was the expression of someone recognizing something he had known but had not yet heard spoken. Ernest said: "You said we are the fifth book. But the five books are: The Inside Account, The Ground Keeps, The Emergent World, The Ordinary Morning, and the journals. The journals are the fifth book. The unwritten book that the four written books approached. The journals are the inside account at its most inside — the building happening in the writing, not the writing about the building." Don was quiet for a long time. The fire settled. A piece of coal shifted, sending a small spray of sparks up the chimney. The February light had shifted again — the cloud had passed,

It's hard to focus without her, but I lead Axar into the small library with me as I begin to search. Having been alive for so long I've acquired many books and ancient pieces of literature. Some are in immaculate shape, others are torn segments and several pages, barely tethered together by bits of spine. Many of these are family heirlooms as well, handwritten and handed down to future generations for guidance. Some are my own notes and contacts, roughly scribed here and there and then stuffed back onto shelves. I find several books on banshees and a couple on cambions. I find some on death as well, and I stack it into my arms with the rest the pile. "Take this one too." Axar softly suggest