some books age better than others
sometimes I must admit to myself
that I can't always tell
what people mean when they pull a book off the shelf
and say this hasn't aged well
when what they're describing is cheese or beer
left too long on the table
then what they mean is pretty clear
if they say this is not shelf stable
but can a book that once was good
grow soft and stale with time
can it crack and warp like wood
or grow a fringe of mold like rime
was that book truly a book to cherish
100 years ago
or was it always doomed to perish
and time just proved it so
people and flowers bloom and die
sometimes books do too
sometimes I heave a sorrowing sigh
that time so many books doth screw
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