The Books by My Bed
A Bibliophile Poem
It’s almost superstitious
It’s almost sacred
The book pile next to my bed
Is necessary
For sleep, for dreams
For comfort, for protection
It’s balanced, both physically
And in terms of subject matter
Two poetry books, one book about climate change
One work of fiction, two books about Buddhism, the Bible
And then, whatever book I happen to be reading at the time
Joins the pile at night for company
It grows and grows
Time flies and passes
We know, I know, bibliophiles have always known
There is never enough time for the to-be-read pile
It is superstitious
It is sacred
These books that shape our lives, join our lives
Wait for us with patience
These cherished books in stacks
By the bed
Books by My Bed
A personal essay, an ode
A quick survey of my small two bedroom apartment gives any visitor a heads up on who lives here.
Someone who really likes books. Note the seven shelves spread throughout the living room and bedroom. This is not counting the four shelves in the room that is obviously occupied by an adorable child, as indicated by the giant pink Barbie castle that sits in the center of the room.
Books and piles of books are how I live my life. They are how I make my day. They are how I decorate and know my home.
I used to organize my shelves in terms of subject matter, and within that, alphabetical order. Four moves with some degree of relative homelessness in between have cured me of this very organized habit. I have purged too many books, lost too many books, and some boxes are still in storage.
Now I have general subject areas, generally. I know where things are. I know how to find what I am looking for.
I have some books on Kindle, e-book, audible, but they are a last resort for me. If I am somewhere and bored. If I am in bed and the lights are out. If a book was on sale or free in e-book and I don’t have enough saved up for the hardcopy yet. I prefer the physical, actual, and yes, real book over something in a phone, on a screen.
Books are what hold me together. Books are conversations I want to have with people, with myself.
So without further ado, here is a short list of some of the books by my bed:
True Refuge, by Tara Brach
Instant Winner, by Carrie Fountain
Women Who Run With the Wolves, by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The Holy Bible KJV I have had since I was ten years old
Field Notes from a Catastrophe, by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, by Maria Tatar
The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, translated by Jack Zipes
Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion, by Jack Zipes
Blowout, by Denise Duhamel
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, by David Wallace-Wells
My espresso brown bookshelves were the first official furniture purchased for my apartment. I am waiting for a dresser, a bedframe, and most importantly, two bedside tables. Nightstands. My only requirement is that they be able to hold a nice, comforting, beautiful stack or two of my cherished books.