It's Eudora's fault...

We're in the summer institute. Stephanie read that bit from Eudora Welty's book. Then she asked, "What was your introduction to books?" The room fell silent. Pens scratched on papers. My pen did this:

It was 1975
I fell in love
With a vessel of
Passions and
In waters churned
Lay books.

"You've never read
To Kill A Mockingbird?"
Unmockingly exhaled
As easily as
"I'm hungry."

Their bony spines
From library shelves
Stared at me
Dared me
Scared me.
"I'm not a reader"
Lovers' confessions
Intellectual pillow talk.

"They're kissing cousins,"
She mused
"Reading,"
"And sitting still."

There they were,
Caught in the
Whirling power of this
Person,

Books

And I sat still.

******************
July 15, 2008. Thirty years.