The Bookish Kind: 6/1/13

Monday, June 17, 2013

A Dog-ear For Emily

noun

(in a book) a corner of a page folded over like a dog's ear, as by careless use, or to mark a place.

Dog-eared books are a sign of affection for something you have read, a reminder to go back and visit it again, something you want to remember.

Take for instance page 605 from the Emily Dickinson biography,

"My Wars Are Laid Away in Books."

It talks about Emily D's affection for Emily B's writing.

It shows how similar they were,

and as 'kindred spirits' to me, I cannot help but mark these words.

Here is a close up if you want to read it. I found it fascinating to read.

It is definitely a page I want to remember from this book, and noting it here is a good place to 'hold' it so I won't forget the words.

Do you ever dog-ear your physical copy books and/or your Kindle books? I just can't give up the physical book and I hope I won't ever. I continually weed through my stacks and try to only keep the dearest ones.

It is a work in progress, but I am getting there.

I'd love to hear what you have dog-eared.

Joy

I will never tire of the wind,
be it a cold winter blast
that takes me off guard
with it's bitterness,
or an exhilarating spring or
fall tempest that sweeps me away.
I get caught up in it every time,
...it's as if the wind is calling
my name to come out and play.
The trees become my cohorts,
...those gentle giants that sway
back and forth with delight,
as they gracefully bend to and
fro - they get caught up every time,
too, and are surely clapping their
hands in mirth.
In these moments, I am a
beautiful bird who was made for nothing more than ascending
to the heights where the currents await me. Joy.

For the beauty of the earth