The Corner Bookstore 

She lost me in Whispering Leaves…
“Only need a few minutes,” I said,
“go ahead…run your errands, 
I’ll be here when you get back.” 
She smiled that smile and said, 
“See you later then.” I’m a terrible 
liar. As I stepped through the portal 
of this urban nook, books stacked 
floor to ceiling, in eccentric, hoarded fashion, shelves, if there were any, 
buried deep beneath dusty tomes begging to be touched, to feel 
the gentle caress of fingertips 
sliding along the page edges, 
turning each sepia-stained leaf 
to reveal hidden treasure.

It had only been minutes when the
store clerk weaved toward me 
through narrow pathways banked 
by beautiful books, my wife in tow, 
“Here she is…” she declared, while
glancing at the title of my recent find.
“That’s a good one,” she winked, 
“you should take it with you…”
My dear partner, my heart, smiled 
that smile again, “you should, take 
that book home, and a maybe few others.”

I don’t deserve her, I mused, as she 
carried my new, old books to the register.

~kat

NaPoWriMo 2024 Day 16 Challenge: write a poem in which you closely describe an object or place, and then end with a much more abstract line that doesn’t left seemindaysgly have anything to do with that object or place, but which, of course, really does.