an abundance of books
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
—
sometimes
i am saddened
by the sight of copious words
on paper
bundled in elephantine joy
stacked on shelves of oblivion
all the books i will never read
words
and letters
inhabiting minuscule space
living infinite ghosts
haunt my human incapabilities
i wish
my brain bloomed into a hug
and kissed all the wonderful articulations
in sweet contemplation
but until a chip
in my head
makes me super-human
i will read
one word
at a time
—
do you sometimes wish for superhuman powers to absorb all the knowledge there is all at once?
—
I absolutely wish I could read more quickly, and still comprehend everything! Of course, my real problem is that I don’t set aside enough time for reading.
Yes, same. I did find out that reading on the bus or a few minutes before bed goes a long way. We also read many blogs…so I think ahead of most!
Yes, when I rode the bus/train everywhere I used to always be reading. A great way to pass the time!
One word at a time … true. Every once in a while they agree to meet in a phrase which ignites an idea never before perceived. It’s almost better than …
hah! Clever again!
Em, I used to hope that total enlightenment would be achieved upon my ascent to heaven. Or at least that heaven would include an immense library full of books that would instantly impart all their contents upon a simple stroke of the spine. But since I gave up all supernatural belief, then yes, I do sometimes wish for the superhuman ability instantly to absorb and, more importantly, to retain all knowledge!
Yes, retaining it! I am mortified that our memories are like sieves, but even more mortified to get a chip in my head and gain super powers of knowledge absorbing!
If I get into heaven, I want an hours time to be spent in a library where I can absorb all the words without my attention span drifting once and the ability to enjoy it!
Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!
It would be a fine ability to have. I keep thinking that I would make wiser decisions if I knew more. Though, I also think that it’ll be somewhat of a lonely experience to absorb so much knowledge. It sets you apart as much as it sets you free. Such notions make me think of The Giver by Lois Lowry.
Ahhh, good point, I haven’t thought of it that way, thanks for sharing!