A Book That Wouldn't Open Poem by Jenny Kalahar
A Book That Wouldn't Open
Rise up, pages!
Open to my finger-pulls!
Take me inside where I want to be,
to some fantastic world
where stick-figures shaped as letters
form men and women, dogs
who seek to escape their paragraphs
into this world through my thoughts
But why not yield? I ask the book
that refuses to give in
to tuggings at its ribbon,
at fingernails dug in
I hurl it wildly across the floor
hoping to force it open
but the thing stays shut and will not flut
or flit or flap or budge
I could move on to other shelves
and leave this tome alone,
but now my curiosity
is piqued, and I must know
what kind of tale or poem or world
has hid itself away
behind its leather covers
with no title to be seen
I fetch the book and take it out
into the sunlight, high and hot
and find a place to sit to wait
to be invited in, or not
An hour passes drowsily
and the sunset moves to where I am
oranging the sky beyond,
graying overhead
I gave in to sleep and dropped the book
not to the ground, but over me,
and when I woke, I was inside
the book that wouldn't open previously
And now I'm but another line of ink
existing on the page you read
captured here forever more
no longer plagued by curiosity
2 – ok, i read again down till i came to " flut" in your poem. what, i wonder, is wrong/not good about using" flutter" ? ! bri :) I’ll read another of yours.
Hi. " Will not flut" mirrors " thing stays shut" in that line. I shortened it for the sound. - Jenny
1 – i sent your poem title and name out to a bunch of my PH friends (along with other titles from MyPoemList) . i now see your comment (below) about " flut" ; you are forgiven. just DON'T do it again! ! " form men and women, dogs" ...it sounds like you are equating men and women to dogs. well there ARE A LOT (ok, some) similarities. i married a once.
" and when I woke, I was inside the book.." this snuck up on me and gave me a good sharp laugh! i only found " flut" as a noun: " (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent" [not glut? ? ] " flit - move swiftly and lightly." You seem happy? ? with your fate. who will join you? to MyPoemList bri :)
Thank you for reading! I used " flut" as a shortened form of flutter. (Confusing, sorry!) . - Jenny
Fantastic poem, one of the best I have read in a long while. Your imaginative mind shows very well in this verse.10+
Thank you so very much! I'm very happy to have your compliments! - Jenny
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/9/2024 7:44:03 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Wonderful to read. It was the title that captured me.
Thank you, Lyn! - Jenny K