Don't Read Into It #12: For the Love of Books

I stared at that book on your shelf

It was titled Cocoa Bean Afro Girl

The cover was a rainbow of pretty colors

With a drawing of a Black girl who looked like my Momma

And when you saw the longing in my eyes you said

“You should borrow that book”

Oh, I couldn’t, I replied

I know how you love your books

“And I love you more

Keep the book

Keep the book

Until we forget who ever owned it

And tell opposing stories to our good friends

About whom introduced whom

To the Obsidian Soft Afro Girl

Keep the book

Until we own one bookshelf

Until one book doesn’t belong to one

And we point to all the books

And call them ‘our’

Keep the book

Keep it by your bedside

And think of me

Think ‘what a lovely book’

‘What a lovely life’

And when we settle down for our eternity together

I tell you ‘Honey, would you pass me our Midnight Afro Girl

I would love to read a passage before bed’

And you carefully hand me our story

And say ‘read a bit aloud, my love?

This one’s my favorite'”