I saw this fabulous idea just today over on Stan Carey‘s blog: Book spine poems.

I went around to my bookcases and grabbed a book here, another there, until my arms could barely hold them comfortably and I was in danger of capsizing.

This was a strangely intimate process. I felt more turned inside out of myself than I expected, perhaps more aware of parts of my brain than usual when writing a poem.

I can’t wait to do this again.

Here’s what I came up with, and thank goodness for punctuation:

Book spine poem #1

The Once & Future King

The once and future king,
A river in the sky.
Life, the universe, and everything;
The mote in God’s eye.

At the back of the North Wind,
beyond the looking glass,
The end of faith—
It’s easier than you
think.

…does it matter?