The wonderful world of books...can you imagine a world where people were persecuted for the knowledge they possessed, just the owning of books could threaten your very existence. Libraries of historical books sacked and burned throughout history. What was MAN thinking...how bizarre were the thoughts of the day, how medieval and cruel history has been to the masses.
Even today free speech is often taunted by governments, even here in the 'land of the free'...you don't even want to mention the word terrorist, for fear of landing your innocent butt in some confinement compound...that doesn't exist...being tortured to admit what you haven't the foggiest idea of what they may want...what secrets you hide in the pages of a book...tell me who is this agent Harry Potter???
But I feel fortunate that I can pick up a book anytime, usually at Good Will or an antique shop and not feel threatened by the pages I'm reading. But there were times in this current administration that I felt Homeland Security could break into my home at any time and ravage my larder of books, hiding secrets written by Poe or Byron...what of Shakespeare...surely he was conjuring up conspiracies en mass. Aniis Nin...surly she was a witch, pagan in her writings...BURN HER...I am prompted to the Monty Python movie, can't remember which one, 'how do you know she's a witch...cause she looks like one!!!'...HA!
But today, since I have very little time to sit and read, I buy books for their covers, how they look in a setting for the shop, great colors and patinas, waterlogged, wrinkled pages, all great finds for the look of the decorator.
But a little book of poetry has a hard time finding it's way to my stores, when it fits perfectly well in my collections...waiting that stray moment that I can sit and indulge on a sunny day...to read and imagine.
