15-4 Billy Collins

Billy Collins was born in New York City in 1941. He is the author of several books of poetry. Collins got his PhD in Romantic poetry from the University of California. Collins taught at Lehman College. His poetry Books is about how the books in the library come alive on the college campus. Each book has a coat that is the cover of the book. The authors talk to each other and some family is beside each other. These books speak their own language to each other. His mother reads to him and the characters and places come to life. Within the walls rain soaks New England or standing in a trench coat. The books can take someone to places they haven’t been before anything is possible. We read these books that after we finish is only crumbs on the page that makes a trail. We read in circles looking for more light until the words leave a trail of crumbs.  The birds eat the crumbs that we have left behind from reading the book. We have to listen hard to hear the brother and sister talking to each other as they recede to the woods. The books have come a live but one must listen real close to hear what the books are saying to one another. We don’t hear what the books have to offer and the places they can take us. I enjoyed this poem it made a lot of sense when you think about all those books and shelves full of authors talking to each other. Some kin to each other some not but as the words a read they fall from the pages like crumbs that the birds pick up and eat. When we are done with them just as we are the books, some will never be picked up again but some will.