Satiny old leather,

crumbling at the edge,

a little gilt,

almost sensuous.

Yellowed pages, foxed with

brown spots, darkened by

age, stained by unknown fingers in perusal.

A ragged tear

on the last blank page.

A handcolored frontis, colored by

what hand? Colors seeping

over the lines, as though the

hand were tired.

A forgotten book, laid aside

like an old lover.

by Cher Bibler