Out of Books by Rick Hartwell

Once again I’m out of books.

Shivering, I enter withdrawal.

What if it means I must converse,

Hold discourse with my neighbors,

Make decisions in the here-and-now,

Rather than retrospect on the there-and-then?

Not holding with those who say it’s not addictive,

My body, mind, and soul are so habituated to reading,

I’ve become mentally numb, physically agitated and so negatively

Introspective there is no logical reason that can deflect my intoxication.

I did not plan ahead or pace my reading pleasures,

I assumed my wealth of books was never ending.

Amazon™, Thrift-Books™, Daedalus-Books™,

Expedite my shipping and my return to sanity,

Please fulfill my order without delay.

Although shaky, I selected Captions On,

But found nothing worth “reading,”

Nook™, Kindle™, I must decide!

Rick Hartwell is a retired middle school teacher living in Moreno Valley, California, with his wife of thirty-five years (poor soul, her, not him), their disabled daughter, one of their sons and his ex-wife and their two children, and ten cats! Yes, ten. He has previously been employed as: apprentice carpenter; dairy ranch hand; plywood mill worker (twice); plastics manufacturing plant; newspaper delivery; armed security; facilities analyst; telecommunications analyst. supervisor (twice) and manager; business manager; US Army - infantryman, legal clerk (twice), legal clerk instructor, Warrant Officer and law office manager; and, high school teacher for the emotionally disturbed (twice).