by Steve Tanham
Diana Wallace Peach, over at Myths of the Mirror set a writing challenge prompt for the new year… which I’ve just found out expires today!
Here’s my offering, ‘Five Spines of Doom’ for her ‘Tottering TBR pile’ prompt: a nightmare of the ‘to be read’ books we all have – particularly on our Kindles…
Five spines of doom, the living pile declares
To struggling mind awakening in the gloom
Of winter morning in the dreaming room
Who shouts? He whispers to the wall
➰
Five spines of doom, where will has failed
To clear the conscience of the might
of these five books which through the night
Have taunted sleep of he who put them there!
➰
Beside the bed, next to his head…
That, given this priority
They would at last be read and free
And not in their minority
➰
Alas…
➰
Like struggling morning’s light
He grasps, past January’s tea gone cold
The truth his doubting mind foretold
‘Five spines of doom’ … it rings, a nightmare’s fright
➰
Five spines – now books – declare his guilt
Short days, he blames…or longer nights
The five lie mute, abed.. And sadder, yet, unread.
His rising knees make wall from quilt.
➰
Around the Kindle fingers fumble
Seeking to suppress the mumble
Of words in millions’ silent plea
A digital majority.
————
© Stephen Tanham 2020
Sun in Gemini 
Spines of doom. I like that, Steve. A familiar problem faced by many. Your poem is a very worthy contender for the challenge.
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Thank you, Michael!
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This has such a Poe-ish gothic feeling to it, Steven. Loved it. I hope you tackle those 5 spines of doom during this dark winter. 🙂 I’m about 6 days out with reblogs, but it’s on my list.
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Thank you, Diana. It did have a strange feeling when being written! A pleasure to be back 😊
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Very fine piece of writing Steve x
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Thank you, Giselle 😎
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I lie this. As if the pile of books wasn’t bad enough. Now I’m worried. I better get reading.
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Thank you, Dan. Worrying stuff!
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Wonderful verse, rhythm, and dark tone Stephen.
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Thank you,! That’s kind 😊
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Excellent. Wouldn’t expect anything less from Steve! x
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Bless, Joy! Thank you 😊
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love this Steve.. great lines here!
💖👏👏
“They would at last be read and free
And not in their minority”
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Thank you, Cindy!
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It’s a pleasure! 💖
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I think you channeled your inner Poe… very good!
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Thank you, Janis! Diana felt the same… I’m going to have to watch that. Dark chap, Poe!
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I love the clever title of this piece! The image of tea gone cold in relation to the imagery of the poem is my favorite line. 🙂
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Thanks, Jaye. That’s a great comment! 😎
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Sorry Jaya – my spell checker keeps changing your name… growl
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😂 No worries, Steve! You got it.
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Steve this is a wonderful poem, and brings the guilt right back to me in giving up the real feel of the spine of a book for the awkward fumble of my fingers and Kindle… Wonderful way with words ~ and as I told Diana, my pile of books in my kindle has grown to heights I never before could have imagined… and it is kinda cool as well as scary.
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Thanks, Dalo My Kindle is in much the same state… in fact, my Kindle is my TBR pile!
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