The Book in my Hands

The book in my hands -
Worn, wrinkled and faded -
Is a piece of my life
Tangible, solid, soft with memories.

Books spill out of old boxes,
Messages from the past
Awaiting their future
In stacks around the living room.

Each book has two stories
The one between the covers, with a title and author, 
The one about me.

Dots of a life, 
Book pointillism
Tracking the threads of a life, 
Markers of memory.

Over sixty years of books, 
Accumulated in two hemispheres
Gifted, bought, found -
Eras of a life in topics and titles.