"Bookworm"
By Lani Hankins
Never wanted the mansion, nor the picket fence
Wanted only walls of books that seemed to have no end
But as people would come and go, I was expected
to change or move
So, with each person the books came, then went away too
Full shelves were emptied, time and again
Kept trading away comfort, forcing myself to bend
Bookcases were sold off, boxes broken down
Titles that got me through can no longer be found
Lifelines were severed as every adventure went away
An escape became harder to come by with each passing day Things continued the same as they had before
Books came and went like people through a revolving door
Still don't have a library with stacks that seem to never end
And as if on cue, someone is about to leave again
Perhaps it's time to break a cycle that leaves me feeling low
I won't stop somebody from leaving, but the stories must no longer go
My heart has never been broken, nor my body damaged
By the people I have met within the books I have examined
So, there will be no more emptying shelves just to move or change
No more letting go of stories for people that will only be replaced
Lani Hankins is a former Army female engagement team member and a veteran of Afghanistan. Follow her here. Listen to the Savage Wonder episode with her here.
She blogs and podcasts at Kruse Corner.
Bunny: Poems About Surviving Military Life by Lani Hankins
Bottled Away: Confessions of a Struggling Veteran by Lani Hankins
The Gaslit Heart: A Story of Service and Survival by Lani Hankins
Eased Pain: Poems About Surviving Domestic Violence by Lani Hankins
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