The Life Library
She topples, tilt-a-whirl, cartwheeling,
shifting words–and worlds–
“I” becomes her story,
hundreds of volumes to fill
each time she falls
into a book,
a slip, a smudge,
a ripple, a wrinkle, paper and life in origami folds
form timeless variations, endless stories—
her life mirrored, reflected, repeated,
repeated, repeated.
For dVerse, Mish introduced us to the amazing surreal art of Erik Johansson. It was difficult to choose an image, but I finally settled on these two.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
That is the joy of being a reader! It opens up your world to possibilities. I love this. Gorgeous art, too.
Thank you so much, Dale. 😊
My pleasure, Merril 🙂
Awww…..(just sad that out loud). The terse phrases felt like pages being turned, each one pulling her in further. Especially love “paper and life in origami folds”. The ending is perfect.
Thank you, Mish! I love that reaction. 💙
You conjured up a beautiful image Merril and I love the line ‘life in origami folds’ ❤️
Thank you very much! 💙
I love this and really got caught up in it as if in a book (and a library itself).
Thank you so much, Luanne! I’m so pleased that you were! 😊
You are welcome!
The image in the first photo kept shifting for me, like the “tilt-a-whirl” phrase you used in your poem.
Ahh–that’s interesting, Marian. Thank you.
What a lovely image of a reader and what reading does for her. I finally started taking some chunks of time (hours) to read a novel and, oh, boy, that feeling of slipping into another world, one different but also strangely familiar to my own world. You really captured the sensation with your poem!
Thank you so much, Marie!
I need to spend hours doing that again, too. 🙂 I’ve been so busy that usually I just read a chapter before going to sleep.
And by now you’ve seen my subsequent, slightly hysterical comments. Yes, as I write this, you are responding. Oh, technology!
Yes, I changed the settings on my comments to allow more people to comment, so then I had to make it so I approve them to prevent spam and crazies.
I’m laughing so hard now. Not to worry, Merril, this is just me being myself … which is slightly hysterical 😉
If I ever get back into the routine of writing on my blog, moderating comments might be a good way to go. Currently, comments on my posts close after two weeks and that has minimized spam, but I still get some (as well as occasional complaints that comments are closed). What I don’t like is that sometimes legitimate comments go to spam, and I don’t know why. This is just a long way of saying that moderation might be a good alternative to what I’m doing now.
Now I’m laughing because you’re laughing.
I feel like I still maybe miss some comments, if I let too much time go by. . . but oh well. There’s only so much time I can spend on blogs.
“There’s only so much time I can spend on blogs.”: Yes, indeedy.
🙂
I really liked the sense of whimsy in this poem (and of course books).
Thank you, Liz.
I was trying to make it sort of surreal, but I don’t think that came through. 🙂
You’re welcome, Merril. I read it as metaphorical rather than surreal, although there could be some blurring to the two.
🙂
That’s exactly how it is. (K)
Sometimes it is!
Beautiful imagery, Merril, especially the multiple “a ripple, a wrinkle, paper and life in origami folds”
Thank you very much, Derrick. I’m pleased you think so.
I could just cry … yesterday I spent a goodly amount of time reading and commenting. This morning something niggled at my brain so I came back to this post only to find my comment is not here. Wah!! I so love this poem and how you describe perfectly the reading experience. My fingers are crossed that this comment goes through 🙂
All the comments came through, Marie! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and your diligence!
Oops … now that I’ve submitted another comment, I see that you are moderating comments and, so, you likely haven’t seen my comments yet. My bad … lol.
I am behind on both reading and commenting! But I saw your email, so I thought I better get to it!
I love the title of this piece and the delightful atmosphere the writing immerses me in! ❤
Thank you very much, Layla!
Your talent is immeasurable, my friend. The beautiful prose sucked my in immediately. The wrinkle…origami…timelessness part painted such a vivid image of exactly how captivating a great book can be. Great job! I applaud you! ❤
Thank you very much for your kind words and effusive praise, Rachel! 😊
Merril, I am glad to see you using that picture, I thought perhaps I was the only one. Library yes, for sure when the artist uses a name. Perhaps Bjorn’s librarian might straighten your subject out. Bjorn is missing today, hope he is okay.
I too have an “I”, just one book, one line, remember, I am old. “I’ve had a good life, I have done everything that I need to do and most of the ones I want to do, I am ready for the next world.”
..
Thank you, Jim.
I’m sorry I’m behind on reading. I have a lot of work and other writing commitments. I’m not certain I fully understand your comment, but thank you.
As far as I know, Björn is OK. We can’t all respond to every prompt. 🙂
I missed this somehow. Reading is probably as surreal an experience as that library.
Well, in our minds it is. 🙂
So many folds, so many stories: a concertina of life!
Thank you so much, Ingrid!
The artwork is so good, it made me cross-eyed ( in a good way), similarly your poem is so good, I read it at least thrice before responding. Brava! ❤️
That is very kind. Thank you so much, Punam! ❤️
You are welcome. 😊
Oh those last two lines.❤️
Thank you so much, Melissa! ❤️
Those are pretty great images. Not only does your poetry, (wise words form pearls) do justice to the images, it surpasses.
Thank you very much, Resa. High praise indeed!
I don’t know if you went to the dVerse page, but there is more of the artist’s work there.
Thanks! I have not, but I will next time you do one!
It was the prompt for that day.