not just any book…

 

 

old books

 

A book is not just a book.

 

The writer knows the book,

at least, the wholeness of it,

and what was left unscribed.

 

Each reader knows the book,

at least, the meaning of the words

   in their order,

and in their revelation,

and in their singularity,

their growth as understanding molds them.

 

An old book is a shell of its time,

a memento of its era,

a souvenir of thought and thinking,

a precious invitation

   to live in the past,

a reality of expectations,

generations of meaning,

a companion of other words.

 

December 24, 2025

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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2026 All rights reserved.

 

Book review: Sketches by Boz

…the Miss Willises are a scream…

by Charles Dickens

click here

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As with another eye: Poems of exactitude with 55 free verse and haiku poems,

and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)

and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

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© 2026, Richard Subber. All rights reserved.