On Opening a Book

earthy musty vanilla redolence
erupts into comforting scents
of paper inky words dreams

stories poetry from past ages
paper that was born in reams
cut neatly into pages

book weight in happy hands
has a balance of cover
and leaves caressed by fingers

pristine dog-eared annotated abused
the satisfying sussurus as they turn
and the individual paper colour

white yellowed crackling edges
crisp fresh print smudgy seventies
boldie slab bookman old style

and all the while
book and reader are unite
in anticipation

Kim M. Russell, 4th June 2024

Image by Catrin Welz-Stein

Lillian is our host for Tuesday Poetics at the dVerse Poets Pub today, and she says: “This month marks my 8-year anniversary tending the pub at dVerse. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic, so I’ve decided to dip into the past a bit.”

She takes us back to February 2018, when she became acquainted with the art of Catrin Welz-Stein and, with her permission, provided four of her images to inspire dVerse poets, and did the same in 2020, with four different images. Having recently contacted her in Germany, we have permission to use another four images for inspiration.

Our challenge is to select one of the images, from which Lillian has deliberately left off the titles so we can free-associate with them, and either write ekphrastic poems in the purest sense, describing the image, or let them stir our imaginations to write poems that in some way, connect to the images. We must include the selected image and be sure to give credit to Catrin Welz-Stein.

Also linked to Sumana’s books/reading prompt at What’s Going On? on 5th June 2024.

54 thoughts on “On Opening a Book”

  1. I must admit, you had me with your first line! I love how you’ve delved into the world of the book, inky words, dog-eared abused pages, and “paper that was born in reams
    cut neatly into pages”. Wonderful response to the image!

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  3. The opening line is such a hook! 😍 This is a stunning poem, Kim. I especially love; “white yellowed crackling edges/crisp fresh print smudgy seventies/boldie slab bookman old style.” 💖💖

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  8. Ah the joys of reading. There’s nothing like having a good book in your hand. Everything about it is beautiful and you’ve mentioned it all – the scent, the crunching of pages, etc. Beautiful poem. I enjoyed the style in which it is written too.

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  9. I think you sampled and satisfied every sense except taste in this great poem, Kim and even tastebuds might have been aroused by vanilla…

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  11. I love your poem, Kim ~~ I have several of my mother’s and grandmother’s books and as I read your poem, realized it is time to “visit” them once again, all that they are, all that they were, all they they mean to me..

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  15. “earthy musty vanilla redolence
    erupts into comforting scents
    of paper inky words dreams’ …..An old world of nostalgia this is while holding a book, specially an old one in hand. That’s how the book greets us, I feel. SO beautifully captured, Kim.

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  18. “book weight in happy hands
    has a balance of cover
    and leaves caressed by fingers”

    There truly is little more satisfying than to have a book in one’s hands. The anticipation in your poem is palpable. Beautiful!

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