Michael Ende, The Neverending Story
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Poem & art below inspired by the WGO prompt and this Catrin Welz-Stein art above.
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Original DDE™ surrealistic art: “Imagination Soaring” by: rob kistner © 6/5/24
Just books
just books
these, just books
— no way!
maybe magic dragons
flying phone booths
or hot air balloons
maybe ww2 planes
or rocketships to space
taking you to amazing places
beyond your wildest imagination
or maybe a genie’s lamp
carrying you off to Xanadu
to Kubla Khan’s pleasure-dome
where the sacred river Alph runs
or perhaps an enchantment
that introduces you to Bastian
and you two adventure to Fantasia
to save the kingdom from The Nothing
maybe it is a beautiful women
who lived in a kingdom by the sea
who was taken so young by the seraphs
she had never known love’s sweet needing
they are dinosaurs on the loose
perhaps they are toys come alive
an archaeologist in a haunted tomb
maybe they’re superheros who can fly
no, not just books here
maybe timetravel vehicles
or portals to parallel worlds
magic keys to unlock wonders
or imagination’s magical carpets
or a cool movie’s secret ingredient
just anything you choose them to be
but they’re definitely not — just books
*
rob kistner © 2024
Poetry at: Whats’s Going On
Poetry at: dVerse
Poetry at: Poets & Storytellers
Ah, no such thing as “just a book.” Thank you for sharing!
You are most welcome, Sheila! 😉
Couldn’t agree more! They aren’t just books but “Time travel vehicles or portals to parallel worlds magic keys to unlock wonders”. Exactly.
A world without books Debi, even if nowadays some are digital books, would be a bleak place indeed. So bless all the authors who continue putting out works! … 🙂
So very true!
🙂
Love it – it was never just books it is an adventure, it is a new world – Great writing.
Thank you so much Alan… 🙂
Definitely not. Time travelers, portals , magic carpets, yes. Well done, Rob!
Thank you, Sherry, you’re always very kind my friend. I appreciate that. 🙂
Books are indeed “magic keys to unlock wonders”. What a pleasure to travel with words! Love the poem lay out resembling a vehicle ready to time travel. Lovely. Thanks for joining us.
Thank you and you’re most welcome Sumana… 🙂
Love your homage to books!!! I know I couldn’t feel fulfilled with out them ~~ and music. Enjoy your day.
Thank you, Helen. Enjoy yours as well, my friend. 🙂
Yes! You nailed it with that last stanza! My mom always told me the library was a magical place. You could get all the books you wanted over time, for free! And with books by your side, you’ll never be bored! So very true. Thank you, Andrew Carnegie 🙂
Thank you, Lil. 🙂 we don’t realize in the free world how lucky we are to have access to literature. I believe it’s too part of what keeps us free, the degree we are free, but that’s a whole Nother discussion. I love to read and is my eyesight gets poorer, I’m beginning to really appreciate audiobooks — but I will always dive into the pages, either physically or digitally… 😉
The visual construction is so interesting….and the simplicity, reflected and echoed in that great storytelling style is v nice, but the pearl is the literary references..
Thank you so much Ain, I appreciate your kind words always. Hope you were staying safe my friend. It’s always a genuine pleasure when I see that you have visited my site. I’ve tried a couple times, after reading a couple of your recent pieces, to leave a comment on your site — but I can’t figure out how to do it? So let me just say here thatyour work continues to be wonderful.
Rob, great rocketship shape for stories heading for the stars. I really don’t think I would have survived through childhood and my teens without books. They carried me far far from the ugliness of those years.
Thank you for noticing the shape, Lisa. It’s always fun to create poetry with meaningful shapes my friend — at least I enjoy it… 🙂
Hi Rob,
You make your point here (and one very well worth making…) in a very charming and persuasive way. Bravo and many thanks for the sentiment…
Thank you Scott, and you are most welcome my friend… 🙂
“definitely not — just books” Agreed! A rollicking read, Rob.
No way my friend — thank you Dora… 🙂
You’ve captured the magic of books, Rob! If there’s one thing I could never give up it’s those ‘timetravel vehicles’ and ‘portals to parallel worlds’.
Thank you Kim, and neither can I… 🙂
Three cheers for Books Rob. Yes, books are much more than books. They take us there…. and impress our minds forever!
Well done.
Thank you Dwight. I now must use digital books on my iPad, because the arthritis in my hands does not allow me to turn pages, but I still read some everyday — when I’m not writing… 🙂
Books are pure magic with the ability to transform. So much more than just books. I have started my summer reading lounging in my hammock. The last book I read was a murder mystery and I solved it half way through. Haha Are you currently reading anything?
Yes I am True. Given my arthritis in my hands no longer allows me to turn pages, I now have two books currently queue’d up digitally in my iPad: “The House of Wolves” by James Patterson, and “The Philosophy of Modern Song” by Bob Dylan.
Oh books I second this! I just discovered a huge book barn in Chch and couldn’t be happier.
I love the never-ending story. Surely magic. I have the time today to dive into a book and can’t wait
Then by all means Marja — dive! … 😉
I don’t think you’ll find any argument here, from this group of writers and readers! Books are everything you say , and have also been my dear friends throughout my life, comforting or inspiring according to need.
Books are a benchmark of civilization… 🙂
That last verse is my favorite, and all the rest are splendid too. Also enjoyed the songs . . .
Thank you Sussn… 🙂
Yep, definitely time travel machines.
Like the Moody Blues say thinking is the best way to travel… 🙂
A book is so much more than a book.
So very much more Björn… 🙂
Great poem, great music!
Thank you, Sara. 😉