I have always wondered why people keep old books. 99% of those books you’ll never read again and they just stand there, taking up space, gathering dust, becoming brittle and attracting paper mites. And when you move house, you’ll have to pack and carry them and come face to face with your own poor choices again.
Now that Twitter has become Elon Musk’s Twitter, I am quitting Twitter. Cold turkey. There must be better ways to waste an awful lot of time every day.
A pair of – shall we call them trusties? – lift
Him, seated on the Leader’s left.
He does not wish to rise – or is he muddled?
He wants a folder – this one – but is handed
That one. He is standing, but standing still.
A Comrade, next in rank – does he feel
Concern? – reaches out, as if to help.
A second Comrade pulls him back. “Stop.”
The time has come. He comprehends, submits,
Is taken out, their hands below his armpits,
Taken firmly, his jacket pulled awry.
The ranks of men are prudent, look away.
He slows down behind the Leader, to pat
His shoulder. No response. The old chap
Speaks. From the Leader words, a smile.
“We’ll meet later, shan’t we?” – “Sure we will.”
The sand has fallen in the hourglass.
The man of power once is powerless.
The men in places know what this is telling:
Do not ask for whom the sand is falling.
It falls for me, for me, for me, for me.
@Learn English with Regina: Agree on the deterioration of books, especially in Hong Kong’s climate, and the chore of packing and moving them.
Disagree on not reading them again because I usually consult my books every now and then even after finishing them. Thus, few of my books have been poor choices.
“Disagree on not reading them again because I usually consult my books every now and then even after finishing them. Thus, few of my books have been poor choices.”
I recommend “Corporate Sovereignty: Law and Government Under Capitalism” by Joshua Barkan.
Good post from you: “I have always wondered why people keep old books. 99% of those books you’ll never read again and they just stand there, taking up space, gathering dust, becoming brittle and attracting paper mites…”
I keep most of my books in the UK but it has become ridiculous (for me) at 3,000+ books; they’re just fantasies now, memories from a past life, impotent attempts to impress guests. My chances of revisiting the books, one by one, are near zero; perhaps a sentimental glance at their spine, now and again. And the kids have zero interest in enjoying the books like me. Even if I excavated the time and energy to re-engage with those books, I would doubt their insights without first checking online; and giving online a casting vote.
Next time I am in the UK the plan is a book burner barbeque. Heresy? Running them down to the charity shop, maybe, but I doubt they would accept them. Maybe the local library would take the ones with pictures. Most of them have no interest to nobody.
If you would like to sell any books, those look great!
I have always wondered why people keep old books. 99% of those books you’ll never read again and they just stand there, taking up space, gathering dust, becoming brittle and attracting paper mites. And when you move house, you’ll have to pack and carry them and come face to face with your own poor choices again.
Now that Twitter has become Elon Musk’s Twitter, I am quitting Twitter. Cold turkey. There must be better ways to waste an awful lot of time every day.
A Confederacy of Dunces is a must read and an easy way to describe the events of the last few years.
The Sand is Falling
A pair of – shall we call them trusties? – lift
Him, seated on the Leader’s left.
He does not wish to rise – or is he muddled?
He wants a folder – this one – but is handed
That one. He is standing, but standing still.
A Comrade, next in rank – does he feel
Concern? – reaches out, as if to help.
A second Comrade pulls him back. “Stop.”
The time has come. He comprehends, submits,
Is taken out, their hands below his armpits,
Taken firmly, his jacket pulled awry.
The ranks of men are prudent, look away.
He slows down behind the Leader, to pat
His shoulder. No response. The old chap
Speaks. From the Leader words, a smile.
“We’ll meet later, shan’t we?” – “Sure we will.”
The sand has fallen in the hourglass.
The man of power once is powerless.
The men in places know what this is telling:
Do not ask for whom the sand is falling.
It falls for me, for me, for me, for me.
@Learn English with Regina: Agree on the deterioration of books, especially in Hong Kong’s climate, and the chore of packing and moving them.
Disagree on not reading them again because I usually consult my books every now and then even after finishing them. Thus, few of my books have been poor choices.
“Disagree on not reading them again because I usually consult my books every now and then even after finishing them. Thus, few of my books have been poor choices.”
I recommend “Corporate Sovereignty: Law and Government Under Capitalism” by Joshua Barkan.
https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/corporate-sovereignty
Available on kindle as well for inquiring minds that do not wish to have books that take up physical space.
Good…so actual War (the fighting and killing kind…not with lawyers – like in Ukraine) can be waged against corporations.
@ Learn English with Regina
Good post from you: “I have always wondered why people keep old books. 99% of those books you’ll never read again and they just stand there, taking up space, gathering dust, becoming brittle and attracting paper mites…”
I keep most of my books in the UK but it has become ridiculous (for me) at 3,000+ books; they’re just fantasies now, memories from a past life, impotent attempts to impress guests. My chances of revisiting the books, one by one, are near zero; perhaps a sentimental glance at their spine, now and again. And the kids have zero interest in enjoying the books like me. Even if I excavated the time and energy to re-engage with those books, I would doubt their insights without first checking online; and giving online a casting vote.
Next time I am in the UK the plan is a book burner barbeque. Heresy? Running them down to the charity shop, maybe, but I doubt they would accept them. Maybe the local library would take the ones with pictures. Most of them have no interest to nobody.
Book collections at home seem like history now.
Glad I came back a few days later to revisit the comments for a shining effort by Knownot.
@Knownot
@justsayin
Yes, indeed. Knownot: another to rank among your finest. I’d love to see a published collection one day.
@Knownot: It just occurred to me, after all these years, that your web handle itself alludes to Donne.