Setting Everything Aside

 

 

 

                                                  Setting Everything Aside

It’s possible to just let the pen punish the paper so to speak.

Let the pen have its way - the paper is merely a surface.

Let my joy and flitting mind have its way - the keyboard is merely

an instrument.

Time to allow the “what ifs” to emerge into…….

 

What if I am so successful with this book mobile that

another one becomes driven by another one and

another as many books are given to children who

might never have their own books to read, to turn

pages, to delve into the fantasy that only

one mind can devour from one book.

 

As with the starfish thrown back into the sea,

“You can’t possibly save all the starfish.”

“But I can save that one!”

Just one more child with a book as a starfish finding itself

in the ocean of joyous reading.

 

                *      *      *     *     *

 

Welcome to the Banned Book Nook, aahhh yes!

Welcome to a corner in the vintage book mobile, closet rod removed,

where one can browse the shelves of banned books,

children’s picture books, adult novels, poetry, graphic novels

and more….banned from children and you having access to

decide for yourself what you desire to read, yes?

 

Parents, decide what books your children should read, not what

other children should read.

Allow the access to be free, the wisdom to be gained by reading

what may be offensive to others, may not be to you, yes?

 

My Little Free Library is free for all children, free in its accessibility,

free in its boundless opportunity to give all who enter the

option: choose one book, one message, an escape into

words, pictures, diagrams, sketches, photos, silly stuff

pages of colors with no words

                                 pages of words with no colors

                  pages of people with many colors

                                                     pages of people with colorful words..

 

So different are we that I wonder about the starfish that did get picked up,

tossed to the sea to live and not perish on the sands. I wonder about

the book that will get picked up, tossed into a child’s mind to stretch his

imagination, knowing, of course, that the child will not perish but is given

one more chance to grow intellectually, emotionally and with wisdom

imparted from the pages.              

 

"Are there any questions?"

08/28/2022

(Response written to Margaret Atwood's last line of her novel, The Handmaid's Tale, which is "Are there any questions?"